Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2006
884 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on whether the forecast in Rural Ireland 2025 that 30% of our electricity demand could be supplied from renewable marine sources is viable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29767/06]
View answerEarlier this year, I launched a new ocean energy strategy, which aims to put Ireland at the forefront of ocean energy development and position us to capitalise on this resource. The strategy was developed by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and the Marine Institute. As the first stage in implementing this strategy, we have recently upgraded the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre in UCC as well as opening an ocean energy test site a mile and a half off the coast of Spiddal, County Galway. This 37-hectare site will be open to test prototype ocean energy devices. The first wave energy device, WaveBob, has been deployed on the Spiddal site. SEI and the Marine Institute are also currently supporting a number of other ocean energy research and development initiatives. The second phase of the strategy will see the development of pre-commercial grid connected devices and provide for a grid connection to the Galway Bay test site. Ireland has one of the most promising ocean energy resources in the world, and the ocean energy strategy aims to position Ireland to take full advantage of this resource in the future. It is too early however to forecast the exact proportion of electricity demand which could be met from ocean energy by 2025 as this will depends on a variety of factors including the success of the RD&D projects being brought forward under the strategy.
