Jerry Hallissey of Shannon Foynes Port Company and Alfred Risan of Norwegian Offshore Wind sign the memorandum of understanding at Foynes Yacht Club in Co Limerick. Photograph: Arthur EllisShannon Foynes Port Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the large renewables company Norwegian Offshore Wind, with a view to scaling up offshore wind generation infrastructure in northern Europe.
Norway is a world leader in offshore wind; its Government last month launched an investment plan aimed at allocating sea areas to develop 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2040 — Ireland plans 5GW on mainly fixed offshore turbines by 2030, but to scale up floating offshore wind along the western seaboard thereafter.
Shannon Foynes chief executive Pat Keating said: “Norway is a world leader in the development of floating wind and it’s this very technology that will enable Ireland to not alone meet its longer-term climate change targets but become an international energy hub for the first time in our history.”