Wicklow coastal wind farm project to cut turbines by 25 per cent

Codling Wind Park has announced that the number of wind turbines proposed for the project has been cut by 25 per cent, due to improved technology and a better understanding of the site.

The finalised design for the Codling Wind Park, based off the coast of Wicklow, has reduced from 100 turbines to between 60 and 75.

Despite the reduction in the number of proposed wind turbines, the project will still generate 1,300 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity, enough to power over one million homes in Ireland.

The windfarm is expected to create 1,000 jobs during construction and 75 permanent positions when fully operational and those behind it say there will be significant spin-off for the local and national economy.

Although there will be fewer turbines, Codling Wind Park says they will be larger than originally planned, ranging in height between 288m and 314m, up from around 250m previously. When operational, the Park will help Ireland meet over 26 per cent of its 2030 grid connected offshore wind targets, and also help the country to achieve its target of generating 80pc of its electricity from renewable energy by the same year.

They will be situated at distances varying between 13km and 22km off the coast, between Wicklow town and Greystones.

A Community Benefit Fund (CBF) of up to €200m will be established as part of the project to fund local community-based projects. The aim of the fund will be to deliver economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits to local community groups over a twenty-year period.