Displaying items by tag: Ocean Winds

16th September 2023

Ocean Winds Hosts First Oireachtas Delegation Visit to WindFloat Atlantic in Portugal

Members of the national parliament of Ireland, the Oireachtas, recently visited the WindFloat Atlantic, a floating offshore wind farm in Portugal operated by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE. The delegation included Alan Farrell TD and Senator John McGahon, both members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action. The purpose of the visit was to gain first-hand experience of the floating offshore wind facility and its associated infrastructure and to learn about the optimal approach to offshore wind farm development. The visit also aimed to highlight the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement, a priority that Ocean Winds follows throughout each project's earliest stages.

The WindFloat Atlantic project, operated by Ocean Winds, has been operational since 2020 and is the first floating offshore wind farm of its kind. It offers economic and infrastructural benefits of offshore wind farms and accommodates floating offshore wind technology, which allows turbines to be located further from shore in waters deeper than 60m. The visit comes at a critical time when the need to leverage Ireland's offshore wind power potential is greater than ever before, amid the increasing impact of climate change, as well as Ireland's climate target ambitions.

Windfloat Atlantic, a floating offshore wind farm in Portugal operated by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE

Dan Finch, Country Manager for Ocean Winds in Ireland, said: "The WindFloat Atlantic project (25 MW) proves that the technology is viable and gives us best practices and key learnings for floating offshore wind at commercial scale." Brian Leddin TD, Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, commented that "Ireland possesses significant potential and enormous climatic and geographic advantages when it comes to generating offshore wind energy, particularly floating offshore. The Committee members were delighted to visit WindFloat Atlantic to see a floating offshore wind farm of this nature in full operation and learn more about the infrastructure and supports underpinning such a development."

Ocean Winds entered the Irish wind energy market in 2020, bringing with it over a decade of experience inherited from its sponsors in the development of wind energy facilities across North America, the UK, Europe, and Korea. The company is currently working on the development of two offshore projects by 2030, off the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow - Réalt na Mara and Celtic Horizon off the coast of counties Wexford and Waterford. The combined projects promise to deliver over 2.3 GW of renewable energy to over 2.1 million Irish households.

The visit to the WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind farm has given the Oireachtas members valuable insights into offshore wind farm development and will help Ireland to achieve its ambitious 2030 climate and energy targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2023.

Published in Power From the Sea

Tagged under

Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna Launch Major New Offshore Wind Partnership

Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna has launched a major new offshore wind partnership at an event with Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Dublin.

The partnership brings together leading international offshore wind energy expert Ocean Winds (OW) with Bord na Móna, one of Ireland’s oldest semi-states working at the forefront of energy technology, to combine their efforts in leveraging Ireland’s offshore wind power resources.

The long-term, exclusive partnership will see Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna co-own, identify and develop offshore wind energy opportunities around the coast of Ireland.

The joint venture initially incorporates two potential projects, Réalt na Mara, off the coast of Dublin and Wicklow, and Celtic Horizon, off the coast of Wexford and Waterford. Engagement on both projects with local communities, stakeholders and the fishing industry is currently underway. The projects have the potential to generate up to 2.3 GW Gigawatts (GW) of clean and renewable electricity to power up to 2.1 million homes by 2030. By reducing Ireland’s reliance on gas and oil it will also help safeguard Irish communities from global energy price fluctuations.

Grzegorz Gorski, COO of Ocean Winds with Bord na Móna Chief Executive Tom Donnellan and Bautista Rodríguez, Chief Executive Officer Ocean Winds. Photo: Jason Clarke

The collaboration marks a significant step forward for Bord na Móna’s commitment to developing clean energy resources. This offshore wind joint venture will specifically support Ireland achieve target of 7GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Ocean Winds, energy leaders ENGIE and EDPR’s joint venture dedicate to offshore wind energy, brings a track record of experience to help develop the offshore renewable industry in Ireland, with a current portfolio of 14 offshore wind farms in 7 countries, with a 14.6 GW of gross capacity, including 1.5 GW already in operation.

Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment commented, “The Irish Government recognises our geographic and climate advantages in terms of wind energy and is developing public policy proposals to support this. This joint venture is a momentous step towards our commitment to produce most of our electricity from renewable sources – up to 80% – by 2030. It also marks a new chapter in Bord na Móna’s 90-year history in supplying energy to local communities across the island. Ocean Winds’ international expertise and record of accomplishment is supporting Ireland to increase its offshore wind capacity. I look forward to this partnership helping to ensure a secure, sustainable, and cost-effective energy future for Ireland.”

Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said, “Today’s launch is a significant step for Bord na Móna in terms of their transition to a leading climate solutions company and supporting and delivering Ireland’s objective, to become carbon neutral by 2050. Ireland, and indeed Bord na Móna, has a great track record of building on shore, now we prove our capabilities offshore. Between creating employment, and providing secure, sustainable and cheaper electricity - the scale and potential benefit to our country is beyond compare. Bord na Móna is repeatedly proving itself to be very much “More than Móna”.

Also speaking at the launch, Grzegorz Gorski, COO of Ocean Winds said, “Ocean Winds is delighted to announce this joint venture today with Bord na Móna which we believe is the perfect pairing of our international expertise with Bord na Móna’s long history working in local communities in Ireland. We look forward to forging a long-term relationship with Bord na Móna to support Ireland in its bid to harness its natural wind resources for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.”

Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment speaking at the Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna new offshore wind partnership

He added, “By working closely with local stakeholders OW aims to bring together communities and to support their development through ongoing engagement and investment with more than a decade’s experience, OW has a strong track record of using our strength as global leaders in the renewables sector to create opportunities for local companies who want to expand and diversify into the emerging offshore wind sector.”

Bord na Móna Chief Executive Tom Donnellan said “Today we are making a giant leap forward towards energy independence for Ireland. Bord na Móna has always been a cornerstone of Irish energy security. We have been developing renewable energy infrastructure since the early 1990s working with communities to deliver a range of lasting local and regional benefits. Ocean Winds bring an incredible wealth of experience in developing and delivering offshore energy from around the globe. Together we will ensure that Ireland’s vast untapped reservoir of offshore energy will be harnessed for the good of Irish society, the economy and the planet. The projects we will develop will be of such a large scale that Ireland will be able to rely on Irish energy sources and massively reduce dependence on foreign pollutants including gas and oil”.

Published in Power From the Sea

Tagged under

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.