Minister Ryan launches major new Ocean Energy initiative
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today announced a major programme of activity, grants and supports to develop ocean energy in Ireland. Over €26 million in targeted funding will go to the sector over the next three years. The Minister also announced a significant boost for the future of the sector with the first ever guaranteed price for wave energy.
In 2008, the initiative will include:
- €1 million towards a world class, state-of-the-art National Ocean Energy facility in UCC. The Facility will now have an advanced wave basin for the development and testing of early ocean energy devices. It will support the upgrading of equipment at the National Wave Basin Facility at the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre at UCC with further significant support envisaged in subsequent years. The existing facility is also scheduled to move to Maritime Campus Ireland at Ringaskiddy in 2010. Such a facility will be unique in Europe and will be the first port of call for energy device developers. The establishment of this national facility will consolidate Ireland’s existing lead position in the design and testing of early stage ocean energy devices
- €2 million to support to develop a grid-connected wave energy test site at Annagh/French Point near Belmullet, Co. Mayo
- €2 million in grants this year under the Ocean Energy Prototype Fund. This will help developers to make their devices commercial
- The introduction, of a new feed-in-tariff under the REFIT scheme for wave energy of €220 per MegaWatt Hour
- €500,000 this year to establish an Ocean Energy Development Unit as part of Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). Operating with the support and assistance of the Marine Institute, this unit will oversee the implementation of the initiative
Launching the initiative at the NMCI in Cork, Minister Ryan said; “I have articulated my intention that Ireland become a world leader in renewable energy. Last week, I published an authoritative study proving that this is possible. Today, I begin this programme of change with the delivery of a major initiative on ocean energy.
“We have unparalleled ocean resources in Ireland. The aim behind this R&D funding is to enable Ireland to win the race of developing a full-scale, commercially viable ocean energy device for generating electricity.”
This programme supports research, applied research and grants for commercialisation. The feed-in-tariff price offers a guaranteed return to producers for electricity they produce from ocean energy. The Ocean Energy Development Unit in SEI will have a central role in overseeing this Programme. This is an integrated system offering support from the initial stages right through to sale.
Commenting on the programme the Minister said, “Ireland now has the most sophisticated state support system for ocean energy in the world. The Government is supporting start-up research through to the commercial production of electricity from the ocean. We then guarantee a price for this electricity that is one of the most competitive in the world.”
The 2005 Bacon/ESBI study calculated that 1,900 jobs would be created by 2020 if Ireland invested in ocean energy technology. The Minister welcomed the jobs likely to be created in Belmullet arising from the grid connection nearby and said this was also good news for the nearby port of Killybegs, which would be used to service the sites off shore.
“We’re investing”, the Minister said, “in order to create the jobs of the future. We are investing in order that we have clean, cheap and domestically produced energy. I believe that we can be a world leader in renewable energy. We start today with the oceans.
