Introduction to offshore wind
Our future energy supply faces numerous challenges and has become subject to unstable international conditions. To meet these challenges offshore wind has a key role to play. Offshore wind power can contribute significantly to achieving the EU goals of a 21 per cent share of renewable electricity by 2010, help halt global warming and reduce our dependence on imported coal, oil and gas.
Wind energy is recognised internationally as a proven technology that can help to meet increasing electricity demands in a sustainable and clean way. Ireland has extremely good prospects for offshore wind energy.
Why Offshore
Independent studies, carried out on behalf of the Department of Trade and Infrastructure in the UK, recommend locating wind turbines offshore where load capacities are reaching load factors of 37% to 40% compared to average load factors of 20% to 30% onshore.
Horns Rev offshore windfarm Denmark photo: Vattenfall
Currently there are 27 offshore wind farms in operation worldwide.
These include:
- 5 currently operational in the UK
- 19 in the North Sea & Baltic Sea Area off Germany, Denmark,
Sweden, Netherlands.
- 1 in Ireland.
- 1 off Bilbao Spain
- 1 in Japan.
- 4 further wind farms are expected to become operational in 2007,
1 each in the UK, Sweden, Netherlands & Germany.
There are a further 86 wind farms currently at various stages of the planning
process worldwide.
- 27 in the UK.
- 44 off Europe including: Germany 20, Sweden 4, Belgium 3,
Netherlands 6, Denmark 4, Ireland 3 France 2, Norway 2, Spain 1,
Italy 1.
- 6 in the US.
- 3 in Canada.
- 3 in China.
Offshore windfarms in operation and planning in the UK
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