Offshore Renewable Electricity
In 2012, The Crown Estate, as managers of the UK seabed, offered development rights for two tidal and one offshore wind energy projects in the NI Offshore Renewable Energy Leasing Round. Tidal Ventures Ltd (Open Hydro and Brookfield Engineering) was to take forward the development of a 100MW tidal project at Torr Head, Fair Head Tidal (DP Marine Energy and BDME) a further 100MW tidal project at Fair Head and First Flight Wind a 600MW fixed foundation offshore wind project (DONG Energy Power (UK) Ltd, Renewable Energy Systems Ltd and B9 Energy Offshore Developments Ltd) off the South Down coastline between the entrances to Strangford Lough and Carlingford Lough.
As it currently stands, only one of those projects remains in development, that is, Fair Head Tidal. The FFW projects was withdrawn in 2014 and the consortium taking forward the Torr Head project was dissolved in 2019.
The framework for this Leasing Round comprised work undertaken by DETI in relation to the development of the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan (ORESAP) which following NI Executive approval, was published in March 2012. The draft Plan was the subject of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) which were part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.
All documents related to the SEA work are available on request by contacting the department's Renewable Electricity Branch, by telephone: 028 9052 9608.
In its consultation on policy options for a new Northern Ireland Energy Strategy which was open between 31 March and 2 July 2021, DfE has proposed the development of a new targeted action plan to bring forward offshore and marine renewables. The analysis of the feedback to the consultation will determine whether there is agreement to that proposal and, if so, what the focus of the action plan should be
Links to further relevant documents
- Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Plan (ORESAP) 2012-2020
- ORESAP Progress Reports
- ORESAP - Post Adoption Statement - Final - July 2012
- Project Level Mitigation Strategy - Dec 2012
- MOU between the UK and ROI Governments on Offshore Renewables - Nov 2011
- Regional Locational Guidance (RLG) - Sep 2011
- Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) - June 2011
- Consultation on Policy Proposals for an Offshore Renewable Energy Bill
Useful links