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#JamesBond - A luxury sailing yacht seen in the James Bond film Skyfall could be yours — for a cool €9 million.

Forbes has more on the sale of the 183ft schooner Regina, which took Daniel Craig’s James Bond and his companion Severine (Bérénice Marlohe) across the Pearl River Delta in the 2012 film.

Published in Boat Sales
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#cruiserracing – The three day ICRA Nationals begin next Friday (June 13th) at the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire. The entry of one hundred and eleven boats from all parts of Ireland will inevitably see the numbers emphasis on the large home fleet, but W M Nixon reckons this will make the visiting rock stars try even harder.

The Spirit 54 Soufriere would attract admiring attention in any fleet. And under Stephen O'Flaherty's enthusiastic ownership, she has frequently made the scene - often with racing success – in classic yacht events. Nevertheless, to take this long and shapely beauty into the cut and thrust of Ireland's top national cruiser-racer championship is a truly sporting gesture. But as a star in a James Bond movie, Soufriere is accustomed to mixing the rough with the smooth.

It was in Casino Royale (2006) that Soufriere made her debut on the Tinseltown stage, sailing serenely into Venice with Daniel Craig as 007 taking the helm from co-star Eva Green. But it's far from the sheltered waters of the Serenissima that Soufriere will be competing in six day's time, yet her crew and the hundreds of other sailors who are shaping up for the ICRA Nationals 2014 on Dublin Bay will be hoping for a happy mix of good weather and decent sailing breezes to put away some high quality sport.

With six days to go, forecasters are reluctant to firm up their opinions on the expected state of the fickle Irish weather, particularly as it operates in the peculiar climatic laboratory which is Dublin Bay. But the folk who put their faith in anticipated Polar Jetstream movements are encouraged by fairly clearcut suggestions that this indicator and activator of our meteorology may finally be moving northwards towards its proper summer position by next weekend. But whether or not it does so in time to significantly benefit the ICRA Nationals is currently a moot point.

Whatever, the most recent charts we've seen have been showing a marked tendency towards southwest to northwest winds six days hence. You might well think that would provide a steady breeze coming down the Liffey Valley and out across the bay for splendid sailing on relatively smooth water. But as dear old Dublin town heats up with the summer temperatures building towards Bloomsday on June 16th, all sorts of quirks can be introduced into the weather, with afternoon sea breezes with varying touches of east in them playing havoc across the underlying gradient.

As for the Jetstream, the least we can hope for is that it won't be lying across Ireland. Ideally, its underlying path will be swirling away northwards. But if it has settled down unseasonably far south to make life disagreeable in northwest Spain or even across France, then we might just get lucky, as Scotland was in 2012, when they'd superb weather while Ireland had an unpleasant summer with the Jetstream like a nasty girdle across Munster.

Either way, we can do nothing about it. But as last summer's late-forecast arrival of good weather in time for the four day Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta showed, "Here Comes Summer!" is sailing's greatest recruiting slogan. Fleet numbers soared in a last minute rush, and boats which had spent the early part of the season with a shortage of hands found themselves almost embarassed by the arrival on board of willing crewpersons seeking any escape from the heat of the city.

ICRA boats being an altogether more serious proposition than casual local classes, it's likely that the total is pretty well fixed at this stage. But for those who batter around the high seas in weather good and bad from season's start in April, they surely deserve a reward in good sailing after a mix of 2014 weather which, so far, could most kindly be described as "interesting".

The ICRA Nationals 2014 are being hosted by the Royal Irish YC from their wellnigh perfect location within Dun Laoghaire marina, where their fine neo-classical building of 1851 vintage (it's the world's oldest complete purpose-designed yacht club premises) is conveniently positioned beside totally sheltered modern waterfront facilities, yet within easy reach of the open sailing waters of Dublin Bay.

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The Royal Irish YC's prime location and historic clubhouse within Dun Laoghaire Marina's sheltered water provides a perfect location for hosting major keelboat events. Photo: W M Nixon

The club in turn have brought in sponsorship for the ICRA Nats from Teng Tools, a company whose management have been long involved in offshore racing success, with Alan Crosbie of TT sailing in this event aboard the vintage Mills-designed Quarter Tonner Quest, a boat of contemporary relevance whose history includes association with such luminaries of Irish sailing as Marcus Hutchinson and Gordon Maguire.

Thanks to Dublin Bay's time-honoured tradition of enthusiastically racing boats which in most other sailing areas would be seen only as cruisers, the entry list includes the usual mix of modern performance craft from builders such as X Yachts of Denmark, J Boats of America, Elan of Slovenia, Beneteau and Jeanneau of France, and Hanse and Bavaria of Germany, and they'll be lining up with venerable cruisers such as the vintage Nich 31 Saki and others such as Soufriere for whom success is a bonus to be treasured in the simple pleasure of sailing a comfortable much-loved boat.

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The Nich 31 Saki is regularly raced in Dublin Bay, and for the ICRA Nationals she'll be competing in Class 4 against the likes of First 211s and a Hunter Sonata. Photo: David O'Brien

For those who are looking for razor-sharp virtually boat-for-boat racing, Class 1 is surely the place to be, where the active fleet of Dublin Bay J/109s, rating around the 1.015 to 1.017 mark, find themselves head to head with last year's ICRA Nats star performer, Philip Byrne's XP 33 Bon Exemple from the host club, whose helming lineup includes current Irish Champion Ben Duncan.

However, inter-area rivalry is a great spur to success, and the pride of Fingal, Pat Kelly's J/109 Storm from Rush SC, has several years of ICRA success under her belt, including the Boat of the Year title. Another 'out of Bay' challenger in the J/109s is Ian Nagle's Jelly Baby from the Royal Cork, so it will be wall-to-wall J/109s in Division 1, a formidable prospect for one of the smallest boat in the class, Denis Hewitt and partners' Mills 30CR Raptor, whose personnel includes top ICRA mover and shaker Fintan Cairns.

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The J/109 has proven an ideal size for Dublin Bay and Irish Sea racing. Photo: David O'Brien

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Father and son team of Neil and George Kenefick from Crosshaven will be campaigning their Quarter Tonner Tiger as Nathan Kirwan Trust during the ICRA Nats. Photo: Bob Bateman

The Dun Laoghaire emphasis in the fleet is an added peformance incentive for any visitors, and great things are expected in Division 3 from the Kenefick family's hot Quarter Tonner Tiger from Cork, which races this series as Nathan Kirwan Trust with former champion helm George Kenefick on the helm. Another visitor which has been making waves in the Irish Sea this year is the Shannon Estuary-based Dehler 34 Big Deal (Derek Dillon, Foynes YC), which has been scoring success in ISORA racing as part of the buildup to participation in the Round Ireland Race in three weeks time. The Dehler 34 has been around since 1980 or so, but this well-engineered cruiser-racer has deservedly proven an enduring success in Irish waters.

Further down the size scale, there's an impressive turnout of Corby 25s racing against Big Deal in Division 2 where winning will be an impressive notch in the bedpost as the lineup includes Anthony Gore-Grimes' regularly successful X 302 Dux from Howth, while Division 3 sees the continuing friendly (well, fairly friendly) war between vintage Quarter Tonners and J/24s such as Flor O'Driscoll's Hard on Port.

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Anthony Gore-Grimes' X 302 Dux has been a regular and successful participant in ICRA events for many years. Photo: Bob Bateman

As for the Corinthians sailing non-spinnaker in Divisions 5 & 6, Eastsiders are pinning their hopes on the two extra-keen Howth boats. David Sargent's Elan 33 Indulgence, and the veteran Club Shamrock Demelza aboard which Windsor Laudan and Steffi Ennis have turned white-sail racing into an art, and a very successful one at that.

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Transparency is all. George Sisk and his seasoned crew aboard the Farr 42 WOW will be racing with the second-highest rating in the fleet. Photo: W M Nixon

Up among the biggies in Division 0, Soufriere at 54ft is longest of all, and the highest rated at 1.135, but close astern is George Sisk's Farr 42 WOW, which rates 1.124. This provides a challenge for her senior crew, though we're assured that WOW doesn't stand for "We Ould Wans". Quite. There's a good outside challenge here with Denise Phelan's potent Mills 36 Jump Juice from Cork, the XP38i Roxstar (Findlay & Anderson) from the Clyde, the Corby 40 Converting Machine (Dave Cummaford) from Pwllheli, the pride of Arklow which is the Tyrell family's J/122 Aquelina, ICRA Commodore Nobby Reilly's Mills 36 Crazy Horse from Howth, and Lynx, Martin Breen's Reflex 38 which sails thousands of sea miles, many of them with racing success, for the honour of Galway Bay SC.

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The Tyrrell family's J/122 Aquelina from Artklow is an active contender throughout the season. Photo: W M Nixon

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The main man. Nobby Reilly of Howth, Commodore of ICRA, at the helm of his Mills 36 Crazy Horse. Photo: Bob Bateman

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Martin Breen's Reflex 38 Lynx from Galway, seen here racing round Ireland, will be hoping to add ICRA success to her established offshore achievements.

Thus the lineup is what you'd expect of a sailing community emerging from several years of economic recession. There are few if any brand new boats, only a small group are travelling any significant distance to take part, and within the local fleet, as with the visitors, there's a marked emphasis on well-loved boats which have been with their owners for quite some time, but are continuing to give excellent value and great sport for the day that's in it.

And finally, if you don't believe a word about Soufriere being in a James Bond movie, here's the clip from Casino Royale. Soufriere was already being built when the request for her use in the film came through. But who could decline such a thing? It's even better than having a genuine Beken photograph of your boat.

Once upon a time, back in 1990, I sailed into Venice and motored right up the crowded Grand Canal as far as the Rialto Bridge with the late great Brian Hegarty on the Hallberg Rassy 42 ketch Safari of Howth. We'd a better time of it than poor old James Bond. We didn't have to waste time with the distraction of writing resignation letters on the laptop. For we were on our holliers, and believe me, arriving in Venice in the morning sunshine on a fine cruising yacht merits your full attention. It is one of life's great and magical experiences.

Meanwhile, back in Dublin Bay, first gun in ICRA Nats 2014 is at 1055hrs Friday June 13th, racing continues through Sunday May 15th, right hand side of the boat continues to be starboard, and the wind being on it usually confers right of way.

ICRA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2014, 13th to 15th June 2014 ENTRIES (AS AT 6/6/14)

Division Sail No Boat Type of Boat Club IRC
0 IRL9852 Crazy Horse Mills 36 HYC 1.084
0 IRL5718 Loose Change IMX 40 RIYC 1.073
0 IRL1974 Soufriere Spirit RIYC 1.135
0 IRL4208 WOW Farr 42 RIYC 1.124
0 IRL1644 Lively Lady First 44.7 RIYC 1.107
0 IRL2007 Jump Juice Ker 37 RCYC 1.103
0 GBR6940R Converting Machine Corby 40 Pwllheli SC 1.095
0 IRL1281 Aquelina J-122 Arklow SC 1.083
0 GBR4041R First Forty licks First 40 East Down YC 1.080
0 GBR8038R Roxstar XP 38i Clyde CC 1.077
0 IRL4007 Tsunami First 40.7 NYC 1.055
0 IRL7386 Lynx Reflex 38 GBSC 1.051
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1 EI1906 ZURI Hanse 37 Carlingford SC #N/A
1 IRL3511 Adventure A35 GSC #N/A
1 IRL638 State O’ Chassis Sigma 38 RIYC #N/A
1 IRL3307 Rockabill V Corby 33 RIYC 1.041
1 IRL3709 Axiom X 37 RIYC 1.035
1 IRL3061 Fools Gold A35 WHSC 1.028
1 IRL9609 Jelly Baby J109 RCYC 1.027
1 IRL28898 Powder Monkey J109 NYC 1.025
1 IRL7778 Gringo A 35 NYC 1.024
1 IRL811 Raptor Mills 30CR RIYC 1.020
1 IRL1141 Storm J109 HYC/Rush SC 1.017
1 IRL8088 Jedi J109 RIYC 1.017
1 IRL1206 Joker II J109 RIYC 1.017
1 GBR8933R Bon Exemple XP 33 RIYC 1.016
1 IRL1383 Ruth J109 NYC 1.015
1 GBR9047R Mojito J109 Pwllheli SC 1.015
1 IRL1129 Jump The Gun J109 RIYC 1.014
1 IRL9898 Indecision J109 RIYC 1.013
1 IRL29213 Something Else J109 NYC 1.013
1 IRL7991 Jigamaree J109 RIYC 1.011
1 GBR8609R Jetstream J109 NYC 1.009
1 GBR2620L Fox in Sox X 34 RIYC 1.003
1 IRL3471 Black Velvet First 34.7 RIYC 1.001
1 IRL1367 Boomerang First 36.7 RStGYC 1.000
1 IRL3470 Flashback First 34.7 HYC 0.989
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2 IRL1310 After You Too Beneteau 31.7 RStGYC #N/A
2 IRL3438 Albireo Swan 371 RIYC #N/A
2 IRL7317 Attitude First 31.7 RIYC #N/A
2 GBR8747T Movistar Bleu Elan 333 Killyleagh YC 0.967
2 IRL7284 Red Rhum Dehler DB1 RStGYC 0.967
2 IRL8750 Jester J 80 NYC 0.957
2 IRL1188 Utopia X 3/4 Ton DL Marina 0.956
2 IRL8094 King One Half Tonner HYC 0.953
2 IRL6909 Extreme Reality Beneteau 31.7 RIYC 0.952
2 FRA079 Graduate J 80 RIYC 0.952
2 IRL993 Prima Nocte Beneteau 31.7 RIYC 0.950
2 IRL4170 SLACK ALICE GK Westerly 34 WHSC 0.949
2 GBR66R Checkmate XV Humphreys Half Tonner RStGYC 0.943
2 IRL5522 The Big Picture Mg30 HYC 0.942
2 IRL8223 Kamikaze Sunfast 32 RStGYC 0.941
2 IRL2552 Fusion Corby 25 HYC 0.935
2 IRL2506 Alpaca3 Corby 25 RCYC 0.931
2 IRL2507 Impetuous Corby 25 HYC 0.930
2 IRL3492 Big Deal Dehler 34 Foynes YC 0.929
2 IRL2525 Tribal Corby 25 GBSC 0.929
2 IRL25007 Smile Corby 25 GBSC 0.929
2 IRL988 DUX X-302 HYC 0.929
2 IRL7495 Maximus X-302 HYC/WHSC 0.925
2 IRL521 Bendemeer Beneteau First 325 RStGYC 0.925
2 IRL1103 Solgari Viking X-302 HYC 0.923
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3 GBR8148 Squawk Sigma 33 ood BYC/RUYC #N/A
3 I8709 Cri-Cri Quarter Tonner RIYC #N/A
3 ITA10767 Don Giovanni Ceccarelli HYC #N/A
3 IRL9311 Borraine Aphrodite 101 RIYC #N/A
3 IRL4384 Django J24 Lough Ree YC #N/A
3 IRL5795 Black Sheep Mustang 30 NYC 0.919
3 GBR5507T Peridot Mustang 30 RIYC 0.916
3 IRL4464 Springer Sigma 33 ood RStGYC 0.912
3 IRL4536 Elandra Sigma 33 DL Marina 0.912
3 IRL4633 White Mischief Sigma 33 ood RIYC 0.911
3 IRL34218 Lady Rowena Sadler 34 RStGYC 0.911
3 IRL999999 Nathan Kirwan Trust 1/4 ton RCYC 0.907
3 IRL508 Quest 1/4 ton RIYC 0.905
3 FRA9186 Cartoon Quarter Tonner RIYC 0.902
3 IRL8188 Alliance II Laser 28 HYC 0.896
3 IRL4533 Crazy Horse J24 Sligo SC 0.887
3 IRL680 Euro Car Parks Kilcullen J24 HYC 0.887
3 IRL4794 Hard on Port J24 RStGYC 0.887
3 IRL9508 Huggy Bear Impala 28ood NYC 0.884
3 IRL728 Maximus J24 Foynes YC 0.884
3 IRL851 Taiscealai Club Shamrock RIYC 0.876
3 IRL7500 Supernova Quarter Tonner RIYC 0.870
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4 IRL1208 Capilano Beneteau First 211 RIYC #N/A
4 IRL2121 Chinook Beneteau First 211 RIYC #N/A
4 IRL2111 Syzrgy Beneteau First 211 RStGYC #N/A
4 307 Wynward Beneteau First RIYC #N/A
4 IRL246 Saki Nicholson 31 RIYC #N/A
4 IRL6556 Challenger Challenger Europe HYC #N/A
4 IRL1689 Chouskikou First 28 DL Marina 0.870
4 8245N Asterix Hunter Sonata DL Marina 0.823
-
Non-spinnaker Corinthian Cup
5 IRL37747 Windshift Sunfast 37 RStGYC #N/A
5 IRL607 Effex II First 35 RIYC #N/A
5 IRL532 Orna Grand Soleil 40 NYC 1.021
5 IRL3506 Just Jasmin Bavaria Match 35 RIYC/DMYC 0.995
5 IRL8478 Warrior Beneteau 34.7 ISA-DBSC 0.984
5 IRL1357 Humdinger Sunfast 37 Carlingford SC 0.972
5 IRL3339 Indulgence Elan 333 HYC 0.958
5 IRL1333 White Lotus Elan 333 DL Marina 0.957
5 IRL3400 Brazen Hussy Dufour 34 HYC 0.950
5 IRL5687 To Infinity and Beyond Dehler 37 CR RStGYC 0.949
-
6 IRL1217 The Great Escape Bavaria 33 RIYC #N/A
6 IRL1309 Syledis in blue Beneteau oceanis clipper 323 LK Bray SC #N/A
6 IRL5013 Sweet Martini She 31 RStGYC #N/A
6 IRL966 More Mischief Beneteau First 310 DL Marina #N/A
6 IRL2860 Pure Magic Feeling 286 Special Bray SC #N/A
6 IRL1166 Edenpark Jeanneau Sun Odyssey RIYC 0.977
6 IRL5643 Calypso Beneteau Oceanis 361 RStGYC 0.928
6 IRL1502 Vespucci Dehler 31 RIYC 0.876
6 IRL100 Demelza Club Shamrock HYC 0.875

A PDF version of this entry list (with owners names) is available to download below

Published in W M Nixon

#Ex007inDalkey- Pierce Brosnan, the Irish born actor and former 007 James Bond, caused quite a stir on the first day of March in Dalkey. The actor was on a location shoot and was understood to be making a TV advert campaign with scenes from the south-side suburb and at Coliemore Harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Dalkey which is well known for its famous string of celebrities, had greeted the Navan born actor's presence with a distinct buzz in the Spring air, as the cameras rolled at the scenic coastal location facing out to Dalkey Island.

For the shoot Brosnan stood at the public viewing area above the harbour, where there is a binocular-scope which is dedicated in the memory of the life and work of the late Dr. John de Courcy Ireland.The former Dalkey resident, was a maritime historian, teacher and linguist and who is widely regarded as the 'father' of Maritime Ireland.

Brosnan played Bond between 1995-2004 during which four films were produced. It was in his second outing as Bond in 'Tomorrow Never Dies' that a Royal Navy frigate, fictitiously named HMS Devonshire made a brief appearance. The frigate was sunk in the South China Sea by a stealth ship, instigated by the evil media mogul magnate Elliot Carver, head of the Carver Media Group Network (CMGN).

By an uncanny coincidence, only a couple of hours before the shoot at Coliemore Harbour took place, HMS Richmond (F239) a sister of the frigate that played the role in the film (in real life HMS Somerset), had sailed past The Muglins lighthouse off Dalkey Island. As previously reported, HMS Richmond, a Duke class frigate was bound for Dublin Port for a courtesy call over the weekend.

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007 signs autographs for Dalkey fans. Photo: Gail Bonass

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HMS Richmond passes the Muglins on Dublin Bay. Photo: Jehan Ashmore

Brosnan's visit to Dalkey was certainly a surprise for locals and tourists alike and will no doubt assist in boosting visitor numbers. By another coincidence on the same day, the town's Heritage Centre on Castle Street, the main street of the former port town for Dublin during medieval times, reopened after completion of a major upgrade of the visitor centre.

Unlike the former Bond's notable presence, HMS Richmond slipped quietly out of Dublin Bay today. Having said that, could there be a connection!....According to yesterday's Irish Times –The Social Network column, among his next film projects is 'November Man', an espionage movie. He quoted "...the stage is big enough for Daniel and myself".

Published in News Update

Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

©Afloat 2020