Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

RYA Northern Ireland Gives Update on North Channel Wind Project

6th May 2023
Artists impression of floating wind turbines that would comprise the proposed North Channel Wind project
Artists impression of floating wind turbines that would comprise the proposed North Channel Wind project

RYA Northern Ireland has provided an update on its engagement with North Channel Wind on its offshore wind project, to be located off the East Antrim coast of Northern Ireland.

The governing body recently attended a meeting, alongside RYA Scotland, to find out about plans, ask questions and raise any concerns voiced by the sailing community.

RYANI’s chief operating officer Greg Yarnall says: “RYA Northern Ireland had a very open conversation with North Channel Wind. They shared their commitment to open consultation with all users of the sea and provided an update about where the project is currently up to and some of the considerations already made.”

Following the meeting, North Channel Wind commented: “We are keen to engage with all stakeholders and we thank the RYA for meeting with us to discuss the proposals.

“We are currently at the scoping stage of the development process, which means identifying all the factors that need to be taken into account in the subsequent project development and environmental impact assessment. As part of this there will be some early public consultation exhibitions in late May/June to give people an opportunity to learn about the project and give feedback at this scoping stage.

“With a combined potential capacity of over 1.4 gigawatts, the two proposed North Channel Wind sites will support the delivery of renewable energy targets, the transition to a net zero carbon economy and reduce our reliance on imported energy.”

North Channel Wind says it has reinforced its commitment to engaging with the sailing and boating community. RYA Northern Ireland and North Channel Wind will be preparing a Q&A document to provide clarity and information.

If you have any questions or general concerns about the project, contact [email protected]. For more information about the current proposals, see the North Channel Wind website HERE.

Afloat.ie Team

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

About the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Northern Ireland 

  • The RYA is the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative for inland waterways cruising.
  • The RYA is recognised by Government, the media and opinion formers as the representative body and voice for the activities that it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 112,000 personal members.
  • The RYA has more than 1,500 affiliated clubs and classes, which represent some 350,000 boaters throughout the UK. It is estimated that 4 million people in the UK take part in boating activity annually.
  • The RYA also sets and maintains recognised standards for training for both leisure and commercial boating through a network of more than 2,400 RYA Recognised Training Centres across 58 countries. More than 250,000 people per year complete RYA training courses.
  • The RYA is responsible for one of the UK’s most successful Olympic medal-winning sports. Our coaching and development schemes actively support 800 of our country’s top sailors, from talented juniors to Olympic and World champions.
  • The RYA is committed to promoting all forms of boating and making them accessible to everyone. For more information please visit www.rya.org.uk.
  • The Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland (RYA NI) acts for the RYA in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Chairman of RYA NI is invited to join the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Policy Review Committee.
  • You can find the RYA Northern Ireland at Sketrick House, GE8, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, BT23 4YH.
  • RYA NI is a company limited by guarantee – Registration number NI 51945
  • Contact RYA NI: Tel: 02891 827154 email: [email protected]