Rosslare Europort's Port Authority, Iarnród Éireann, has initiated a non-statutory consultation regarding the establishment of an Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub at Rosslare Europort.
With Ireland's expansive sea area of 490,000 sq km, the country is poised to become a key player in offshore renewable energy. Rosslare Europort, strategically located within 50 to 100 nautical miles of several planned offshore wind developments in the Irish and Celtic seas, is primed to provide crucial port access and infrastructure for various stages of offshore wind projects. The proposed plans for the ORE Hub include expanding the existing site and upgrading port infrastructure to support the construction and operation of offshore wind farms.
Key features of the expansion encompass land reclamation, new berths for ORE vessels, dredging of an approach channel, and the establishment of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facilities, among others. Following collaboration with ORE experts and advisors, initial design concepts have been developed and presented to the public and stakeholders.
The project team has completed further refinements to the initial designs, which will be shared with stakeholders during the ongoing public consultation period. Upon conclusion of the consultation, the project design will be finalised, with a planning application anticipated to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in late 2024.
Pending planning approval and funding, construction is projected to commence in late 2025 or early 2026. The establishment of the ORE Hub at Rosslare Europort is expected to create diverse employment opportunities and foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the region, offering a promising outlook for the future of offshore renewable energy in Ireland.
The proposed works will include:
- Circa 20 hectares of land reclamation
- A new lift berth to accommodate ORE vessels
- A second berth capable of handling Roll-On Roll-Off activities and Load-On Load-Off of components
- Dredging of an approach channel
- A new ‘small boat’ harbour with enhanced access
- Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facilities to include warehousing, offices and parking
- Potential future accommodation of a rail spur connection to site
- New access road to small boat harbour and site access to the ORE facility
Rosslare Europort has been working with specialist ORE experts and advisors on feasibility and concept designs. Having collated various preliminary data, the project team developed initial design concepts, which were presented to the public and various stakeholders in December 2023. Further improvements to the initial designs have been completed and will be presented to stakeholders during this public consultation period.
Following this period of consultation, the project design will be finalised. A planning application is expected to be lodged with An Bord Pleanála in late 2024. Subject to planning being granted and funding being allocated, it is expected that construction will commence in late 2025 / early 2026.
