Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 May 2018
200. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the responsibility of SEAI for the development and operation of the Galway Bay marine and renewable energy test site at An Spidéal, Contae na Gaillimhe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22982/18]
View answerThe 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out the Government’s policy for the sustainable development of our abundant offshore renewable energy resources. Under the OREDP, Exchequer support for research, development and demonstration of ocean renewable energy (ORE) technology has been increased. Between 2014 and 2017 capital funding of €17.7 million was allocated by my Department for research and development of ORE technology, with a further €4.5 million allocated in 2018.
This funding supports Ireland’s commitment to world class test facilities including the Lir National Ocean Test Facility in Cork, the quarter scale Galway Bay test site and the full-scale Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), off the coast of Mayo. It also supports the Prototype Development Fund, operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and provides grant aid to support developers in bringing their ocean energy devices from prototype to full-scale commercial viability.
The development and operation of the Galway Bay marine and renewable energy test site at An Spidéal, Contae na Gaillimhe is the responsibility of the Marine Institute.
The Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place with the Marine Institute is a vital component in the overall management of the SEAI’s Ocean Energy Programme. It provides SEAI with direct access to infrastructure, resources and expertise required for operating successfully in the marine environment. The SLA has helped SEAI to leverage significant supports and resources within the Marine Institute and has underpinned the development of an important partnership between the two public agencies in support of the offshore renewable energy sector.
Annually the SEAI agree a work programme with the Marine Institute which typically focusses support for the Galway Bay Test Site Activities as well as support for other complimentary projects (ie development of the web portal, technology deployment on the west coast, data collection at AMETS, Seabed surveys etc). The work programme sets out SEAIs requirement for support to work on various aspects of the project primarily relevant to test site operation; promotion; technical support; IT development; data management; offshore marine activities and deployments.
A robust reporting and governance structure allows SEAI to closely monitor the progress of the SLA, including an annual report of activities at the test site and quarterly reports on the Galway Bay Test site from Smartbay Ireland, the test site operators.
