Wind and wave energy regulations announced

Wind and wave energy developers will have to apply for two separate foreshore permits under new policy guidelines published by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey.

However, no offshore wind or wave site will be given final Government approval without "full consideration and consultation", the Minister promised yesterday when he predicted that Ireland could be a "world leader" in "eco-friendly energy".

Any developer wishing to construct an installation within five kilometres of the shore must clearly demonstrate that it will not have adverse visual effects, according to the policy guidelines.

Also, the Minister may include conditions in the lease aimed at protecting spawning grounds and fisheries.

The document was released by Mr Fahey's Department on the eve of the publication of a separate report on renewable energy, which is to be presented to the Minister of State for Public Enterprise, Mr Joe Jacob, today by a group chaired by Prof John FitzGerald of the Economic and Social Research Institute. Currently, it is estimated that power for 200,000 homes could be supplied from each of several sites for which initial applications are being sought.

Applications for sites off counties Wicklow, Wexford, Kerry and Cork have been sought by Renewable Energy Systems (Larne), a division of McAlpine. The Kish Consortium, comprising ESB International, Saorgus Energy (Tralee, Co Kerry), and PowerGen (UK) has applied for sites off Dublin and Wicklow, while Harland and Wolff and Sure Partners have also lodged applications for areas off Wicklow. Further applications are expected to proceed to "public notification" shortly, according to the Department of Marine and Natural Resources.

The Department's policy stipulates that developers must first obtain a foreshore licence for investigating the suitability of a site. This initial procedure will have "virtually no environmental impact", according to the Minister, and the licence will be valid for a maximum of four years.

The licence will not commit the developer to proceeding with construction and operation. Nor will it commit the Department to issuing a foreshore lease for such purposes. It will allow the applicant to specify within certain limits the date from which the licence takes effect - so allowing developers to choose the most suitable time of year for investigation work.

The second phase requires a foreshore lease for development, and a full environmental impact statement will be needed, according to the Minister. This lease will be granted only where authorisation to construct and licences to operate and supply electricity have been issued by - or are being processed by - the Commission for Electricity Regulation.

Planning permission for onshore works will also be required, and licensees will have to consult fully with relevant interested parties. Mr Fahey warned yesterday that the policy would be "fine-tuned", as both his Department and the industry gained practical experience.