Ocean Energy by Wright Glen Kerr S. A. Johnson Kate

Author:Wright, Glen,Kerr, S. A.,Johnson, Kate
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)
Published: 2017-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (DHPCLG) is currently responsible for foreshore consenting. No timelines are associated with decisions on Foreshore Licence and Lease applications. At all stages, the Minister reserves the right to reject any application for a Foreshore Licence or Lease, to modify the area sought under license or to allow others to simultaneously investigate the suitability of the license area.33 The foreshore consenting process has long been recognised as in need of reform. In 2013, the Department published the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill that sought to align the foreshore consent system with the land-based planning system, to provide for a single EIA for projects, and to provide a coherent mechanism to facilitate and manage development in the EEZ and on the continental shelf.34

An EIA is required if likely significant environmental impacts are anticipated. OE projects fall under Annex II of the EU EIA Directive, which provides that the need for an EIA is decided on a case-by-case basis. An Appropriate Assessment, derived from the EU Habitats Directive, may be required if a project is expected to have significant effects on the conservation objectives of a designated Natura 2000 site.35

OE devices qualify as electricity generating stations under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and as such are subject to a complex licensing and authorisation procedure based on installed capacity.36 Grid connection is subject to a separate administrative process operated by the transmission system operator, EirGrid. Planning permission from the adjoining local authority (county council) under the Planning and Development Acts 2000–2010 is also required for projects that have a land-based element such as a substation or the like.

Ireland has an operational quarter-scale test site in Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. This site is located 1.5 km offshore in water depths ranging from 20 to 23 m and has already hosted a number of devices since its launch, for example WaveBob and the OE Buoy. A full-scale test site, the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) is also under development on the west coast. It is being developed by the country’s energy agency, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to enable testing of full-scale wave energy converters in an open ocean environment. The site will be grid connected and have test berths at various water depths to suit different types of devices.

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