The State's new maritime area regulatory authority (MARA) could take up to 18 months to be established for offshore wind and other coastal activities, according to Wind Energy Ireland.
As The Times Ireland reports today, the Department of Housing and Local Government has said MARA is a “priority” for government.
However, Wind Energy Ireland believes even if the required legislation is enacted by the end of this year, it could be 2023 at the earliest before MARA is in place.
The department says that an implementation plan is being developed in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Climate to ensure the new consenting regime would be “operational as soon as possible” to allow Ireland to meet “ambitious offshore renewable targets”.
The Maritime Area Planning Bill, which has been hailed as “the biggest reform of marine governance in a century” by Taoiseach Micheál Martin is due to go before the Oireachtas — paving the way for the implementation of MARA.
MARA will license large-scale projects such as wind farms and electricity interconnectors, where planning approval will be handled by An Bord Pleanala. Inshore development will be covered under a new foreshore licensing system, giving local authorities a greater role in the sector.
Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) says interim measures will have to be taken to ensure climate targets on renewable energy are met.
The industry body says that “delays to the establishment of MARA must not delay projects” with floating wind technology which may be developed further offshore.
Val Cummins, chairwoman of WEI’s floating wind energy committee and managing director of Simply Blue Energy, a Cork-based firm, said the floating wind sector cannot afford to miss a survey season next summer.
“We need projects to be in the water to undertake geophysical campaigns for a renewable energy support scheme but we can’t do that without a license and the current foreshore licenses do not apply outside 12 miles. So we need an interim measure to cover this gap until MARA is established, ” she explained.
Ireland has at least four major players keen to start working on offshore floating wind projects — including Simply Blue Energy, which has partnered with Shell, the integrated energy company.
A report published by WEI last month said Britain, Norway and France were all moving ahead of Ireland in floating offshore wind.
The report calls on the government to establish a renewable energy support scheme (RESS) for floating wind by 2025, which would support early commercial-scale projects for the Celtic Sea and Atlantic production zones. It is also seeking grid upgrades and port improvements.
Read The Times here