Parkwind and ESB to jointly develop two offshore wind farms in Louth

Renewable energy in County Louth is set to receive a boost with the development of two new wind farms, according to Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd.

The Fine Gael deputy has just revealed details of Oriel Windfarm, an offshore wind farm that is in the development stage and is located approximately 22km off the coast of Dundalk.

It represents a significant investment in the decarbonisation of the Irish electricity system and represents a significant investment from both ESB and Parkwind.

Development of the project began in 2003 and the original investors, many of whom are local to the area, secured an experienced and responsible development partner when Parkwind entered the project in September 2017. The addition of ESB to the joint venture further reinforces the parties commitment to successfully delivering this major investment in Ireland’s sustainable future.

Once operational, the Oriel Windfarm will generate enough capacity to cover the needs of approximately 280,000 households - most of the population in counties Louth and Meath. Oriel will furthermore contribute to the reduction of Ireland’s carbon emissions by 600,000 tonnes per annum.

According to Deputy O'Dowd, "the ESB together with Parkwind, an experienced offshore operator, have reached an agreement to kick start the offshore wind generation industry in the Republic of Ireland through ESB’s acquisition of up to 35% in the Oriel project."

ESB and Parkwind will also work together on the Clogherhead project for which ESB holds a foreshore license to commence site investigations. Parkwind will acquire up to 35 per cent of the Clogherhead project which is intended to be developed as a unique development, under a separate planning application.

Fergus O’Dowd said: “The development of these two wind farms is massive news for County Louth. I am very pleased to see the ESB coming on board in these landmark projects.

“We have a long way to go in this country in terms of developing our renewable energy potential which is why projects like this one at Oriel are very important.

“The development of capital infrastructure like this in Louth will not only make us less dependent on fossil fuels but also mean we don’t have to import as much energy from other countries. The Oriel project has the potential to cater for the energy needs of every home in Louth and Meath,” Deputy O’Dowd said.