2.7 billion euros of investments needed for onshore wind energy
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A new analysis has found that up to € 2.7 billion will need to be invested in providing onshore wind power over the next decade, if the goals of the government’s climate action plan are to be met.
The study also concluded that up to 7,020 jobs could be supported by the sector in nine years, up from 5,130 currently, with much of the employment concentrated in rural Ireland.
According to the report, carried out by KPMG for Wind Energy Ireland, the onshore wind industry currently contributes more than € 410 million to the Irish economy each year.
This amount will increase to 550 million euros by the end of the decade with the increase in investments.
“Our report highlights the crucial role of the onshore wind sector in the economy,†said Russell Smyth, sustainability manager at KPMG.
“In addition to materially helping Ireland achieve its decarbonisation ambitions by 2030, as outlined in the climate action plan, the sector creates jobs in construction and operations, contributes to local authorities and the Treasury, and adds to the overall economic output of Ireland, â€he said.
The authors found that wind farms pay more than 45 million euros in commercial tariffs to local authorities each year and predict that this amount will double by 2030.
More than 8% of the total commercial tariff budget in seven counties currently comes from the onshore wind sector, according to the analysis.
“Additionally, the tariffs paid by these wind farms keep libraries open, repair roads and support local businesses, but the investments made by wind farms in rural Ireland go way beyond,†said Noel Cunniffe, CEO by interim of Wind Energy Ireland.
“The KPMG report shows that 95% of operational expenditure for Irish wind farms is in the south, west or north of the country where it supports local jobs and local businesses.”
Currently, there is around 4,200 MW of onshore wind capacity installed in Ireland, with the Climate Action Plan targeting 8,200 MW by 2030.
“Irish wind farms are reducing our CO2 emissions by 4 million tonnes per year and increasing,” said Noel Cunniffe.
“Today’s report shows that in addition to being essential in tackling climate change, wind farms are increasingly at the heart of the Irish economy,†he said.
“We know we have the pipeline to deliver 4000 MW of onshore wind power by 2030 and this report shows that every new wind farm we build will pay off mortgages, fund child care and support local businesses.” , he added.
Despite the economic and environmental benefits, onshore wind farms remain controversial with many local communities, due to their appearance, noise, and the flicker of light their rotating blades can cause.
Mr Cunniffe said it was important for the government to finalize the draft new wind energy guidelines as quickly as possible and that these should be balanced and based on good scientific evidence.
The draft guidelines contain proposals for revising the required distance between turbines and dwellings, as well as new guidance on noise and flicker reduction.
Wind power can pose challenges in terms of providing reliable and constant electricity to the national grid, given fluctuations in wind speed.
But Mr Cunniffe said there were great developments in short-term battery storage that will help smooth out variations in supply.
He added that it is important to keep security of supply in mind, with diversification into other forms of renewable energy alongside wind power.
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