The Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland has set out plans to procure an environmental assessment and habitats regulations assessment for offshore renewable energy in the Northern Ireland marine area
The assessments are a crucial first step towards achieving Northern Ireland’s energy strategy ambition of 1 GW offshore wind by 2030 and 1.5 GW by 2032.
Tender documentation is now live. It states that a contractor is required to update the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment to underpin the 2012 Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action, to inform the development and enable the adoption of the new Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan and to meet statutory requirements of any policy or plan effecting the marine environment.
The contract will commence upon contract award for an initial period of 12 months. There is one option to extend for any period up to, and including, another year.
Responding to the news, RenewableNI head Steven Agnew told OWJ, “The Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment for offshore renewable energy in the Northern Ireland marine area are incredibly significant, and it was vital it was signed off before the Minister left post.
“This is the first stage in facilitating Northern Ireland’s offshore wind industry that will generate £2.4Bn (US$2.9Bn) GVA by 2032. “Projects need the assessment before they can move on. Achieving 1.5 GW of electricity by 2032 means enough clean electricity annually to power 1.6M homes, or 2.5M electric cars.”
As highlighted on a number of occasions by OWJ, with a renewable electricity target of 80% following an amendment to the Climate Bill agreed by its Assembly, Northern Ireland’s energy strategy ‘The Path to Net Zero Energy’ has been a game-changer for offshore wind in the province.
Work has been underway for some time with UK seabed manager The Crown Estate to enable Northern Ireland to participate in an allocation round for renewable energy and in September 2022, RenewbleNI launched a report highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of developing offshore windfarms in its waters.
The report, The Clean Revolution – Building Northern Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industry, authored by consultants BVG Associates, sets out how the industry and government can work together to achieve 1.5 GW of electricity from offshore wind by 2032.
Developers including Simply Blue Group and SBM Offshore are already in the early stages of developing offshore wind projects in Northern Ireland waters.
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