Further public consultation for Oriel Windfarm off Louth coast this month

Oriel Windfarm is holding another series of public consultation events in January and February to seek the views of local stakeholders in relation to the project, in advance of a planning application being submitted later this year.

Oriel Windfarm was granted a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD in late December. A MAC is a new type of formal consent that must be granted by the Irish government before an offshore windfarm can apply for planning permission to An Bord Pleanála. 

The granting of a MAC to Oriel means that the project can transition from the old Foreshore Act to the Government’s new Maritime Area Planning Act. This now allows Oriel to formally engage with An Bord Pleanála on the next steps in the planning process.

The offshore wind farm project, which is being developed by Belgian green energy company Parkwind and ESB, is to be located off the coast of Co Louth, to the east of Dundalk Bay. The proposed wind farm will have a generation capacity of up to 375 megawatts (MW), which is enough electricity to power about 300,000 homes. 

Garrett Connell, Parkwind Country Manager, said: “The project has been designed to fit within available electricity transmission infrastructure and will connect into existing power lines near Ardee, via a new underground cable from the shore. This will enable a significant reduction in Ireland’s carbon emissions and our reliance on imported fossil fuels, in an efficient way.”

During January and February, Oriel will hold a combination of in-person and virtual events at which its representatives will outline the details of the project, address the questions that were raised during previous consultation events, and engage directly with the local community.

The consultation process will see public events held in three locations across the region and an online virtual exhibition will also be held throughout the six-week consultation period. Oriel’s intention is to make all events as accessible as possible to local stakeholders.

The details of the various events are as follows:

• January 11 - Virtual exhibition opens - online - www.orielwindfarm.ie
• January 19 - Public webinar - online - www.orielwindfarm.ie
• January 24-25 - Public consultation - Dundalk - DkIT Carrolls Building
• January 31 - Public consultation - Ardee - Brian Muldoon & Sons
• February 1 - Public consultation - Kilkeel - Kilmorey Arms Hotel
• February 20 - Virtual exhibition closes

All public consultation events will open at 3pm and final entry to venues will be at 8.30pm. Experts from Parkwind, ESB, and their environmental consultants will be on hand to answer questions in relation to the project.  

As part of the consultation process, Oriel will also be hosting a webinar to present details of the project and the planning process. The webinar will take place at 7pm on Thursday, January 19. 

“We are delighted to be able to once again engage with the local communities and stakeholders in Co Louth and Co Down in relation to this key green energy project,” said Mr Connell.

This period of consultation is part of an overall engagement process that Oriel has been operating since the project recommenced in 2018. “Our door has always been open to engage with stakeholders and that will continue to be the case as we move through every phase of this project,” he added. 

“This phase of consultation will allow us to finalise an environmental impact assessment which we have undertaken over the past four years and will feed into the planning application for the Oriel project, which will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála later this year. The timing of the application will be directed by the Bord and will be advertised publicly at that time.”

An Bord Pleanála’s consideration of this planning application will also include a public consultation phase when all interested parties will have the chance to make an observation on the project directly to An Bord Pleanála. 

The Oriel project is expected to play a key role in the development of offshore wind energy in Ireland and to help meet the Government’s target of generating 7 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030. 

The project will bring major economic and community benefits to the North-East region, says Oriel Windfarm, providing a significant employment boost during construction. Oriel will also be an ongoing employer in the region with a local operations and maintenance base, creating spin-off jobs in the region during its 30-year lifespan. Once operational, Oriel will also be contributing annually to a substantial Government mandated community fund, which will distribute grants to a wide range of groups in the region.

The virtual consultation room, including information about the project and details of the public events can be viewed at www.orielwindfarm.ie, where it is also possible to sign up for updates on the project and arrange an appointment to meet the project team.