European ambassadors visit Foynes Port for briefing on renewable energy plan for Shannon Estuary

THE Dutch and German Ambassadors to Ireland have endorsed the proposition that the Shannon Estuary has the potential to generate renewable energy at a European Scale.

Ambassador Adriaan Palm (Netherlands) and Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt (Germany) recently visited Foynes Port which will be a key enabler of the estuary’s planned transformation into a global renewable energy hub over the coming decades.

The visit was at the invitation of Shannon Foynes Port Company, which has statutory jurisdiction over all marine activities on the Estuary.

The Shannon Estuary is earmarked as the supply-chain hub for realising Ireland’s enormous offshore wind opportunity off the west coast. That wind resource is estimated to be capable of generating up to 80GW of electricity – ten times our national requirement.

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Both Germany and The Netherlands have ambitious wind energy and green fuels generation plans and believe that the Shannon Estuary and Ireland is also on a path to contributing significantly to Europe’s energy mix in the decades ahead, such is the scale of the opportunity here.

Following the visit, Ambassador Palm commented: “The Netherlands, Ireland and, indeed, the EU through the REPowerEU programme, see wind and green fuels as key components in the mix for tackling climate change and energy security. I’m delighted to have been able to come to Foynes to witness first-hand the potential here and it is enormous. It is at a scale that will impact way beyond domestic requirements but, I believe, can make a significant impact on the wider European energy mix.”

Ambassador Meier-Klodt added: “Based on what we have seen and heard here at Foynes, the opportunity is such that domestic requirements can be met from here but with significant additional capacity beyond that for a mix of opportunities, including electricity or green fuels exports into a market that wants it, Europe. That means Ireland has the opportunity to become a leading international renewable energy exporter. If it realises that opportunity, it will be good news for Ireland and good news for Europe in terms of climate change, energy security and the economy.”

David McGarry, chairman of Shannon Foynes Port Company says he's delighted to have welcomed the two ambassadors.

"Their visit follows that of other high ranking political and official figures from across the EU as well as energy developers over recent months. There is growing awareness and consensus that the opportunity off the Shannon Estuary is enormous because of our proximity to what are among the best winds in the world here on the west coast, the deep water we have that is essential for building out turbines at the scale required to harvest these winds, the availability of port sites needed for this and more," he said.