* A planning application for a major offshore wind farm between 13km and 22km off the coast of Co Wicklow is due to be submitted next week.
Codling Wind Park aims to begin construction between 2026 and 2027, and to have the infrastructure operational by 2030, subject to receiving permission.
The project is owned by Fred Olsen Seawind and energy company EDF Renewables.
A 1,300-megawatt power station is proposed which would have the capacity to supply energy to one million homes across the State, based on data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
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Construction and development of the wind farm would take into account the environmental conditions in the area and decisions had been informed by surveys, consultation with stakeholders and international standards, director of the project Scott Sutherland said.
The company confirmed in April this year that there will be a maximum of 75 wind turbines on the site. At the moment, two options are under consideration: 60 turbines standing at 314m or 75 turbines at 288m.
[ Wind has generated almost one-third of Ireland’s electricity in 2024Opens in new window ]
The construction of the wind farm is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and about 75 long-term positions once complete, according to the company.
Underwater cables will connect it to the grid at Poolbeg in Dublin Bay. The project aims to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.7 million tonnes, a figure based on SEAI data. It also expects to deliver more than one-quarter of the State’s target for offshore energy by 2030.
Plans include a €200 million community benefit fund with a committee to be set up to manage the account, which will support a number of projects in areas impacted by wind farms, in line with a Government document published in 2021.
Members of the community will be invited to submit applications for the funding, according to the guidelines.
However, the fund will not be available until after the wind farm receives planning approval and construction begins.
The project is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in the construction phase — which could begin as early as 2026 if planning permission and all other necessary permits and consents are received — and 75 new, long-term jobs associated with its proposed operations and maintenance base. Construction is expected to take two to three years to complete.
* This article was edited on Thursday, August 29th, 2024
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