Western Star will harness the tremendous wind potential of the Atlantic Ocean to help create a clean, sustainable future for everyone. The project will utilise innovative and cutting-edge floating offshore wind technology to produce zero-carbon electricity. The development aims to help Ireland progress towards a green energy future with domestically sourced sustainable electricity delivering both environmental and economic benefits to the entire country.
Simply Blue Group and EDF Renewables Ireland are developing the Western Star project off the west coast of Clare, which will consist of a floating wind farm situated at least 35km offshore in waters approximately 110m deep.
The Western Star Floating Wind Public Consultation is now open. The project is currently at scoping stage, which is stage 2 of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA scoping report provides an outline of the proposed approach and offers an opportunity for the public to feedback on this report.
This project will help to reduce Ireland’s dependence on foreign fossil fuel imports, where a large portion of our current electricity production comes from.
Offshore wind energy is a clean, sustainable and renewable energy source which will help Ireland reach its targets on greenhouse gas emissions and aid in the fight against climate change.
This project will be sustainable and transformative for the west coast and will enable local communities to benefit from the opportunities in the blue economy
Image: Courtesy of Principle Power: Dock90
About Simply Blue Group
Simply Blue Group, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a leading blue economy developer focused on replacing fossil fuels with clean ocean energy. It develops pioneering blue economy projects – floating offshore wind, e-Fuels, wave energy, and low-impact aquaculture – all in harmony with the oceans. The company has a pipeline of over 10GW of floating offshore wind projects across the globe. Simply Blue is committed to creating new economic opportunities for coastal communities, and developing projects that co-exist with sustainable fisheries and marine conservation.
About EDF Renewables Ireland
EDF Renewables Ireland is part of one of the world’s largest electricity companies and our investment and innovation in renewable energy projects is reducing costs for consumers and bringing significant benefits to communities.
EDF Renewables Ireland’s team has a wealth of experience in bringing complex development projects to fruition, across onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and battery storage technology, and is supported by more than 400 colleagues in the UK.
In 2020 we acquired 50% of Codling Wind Park, a major offshore wind farm which will be located off the coast of Co. Wicklow, with a dedicated team who have begun developing the project, and 100% of Wexford Solar, which includes eight solar projects across Ireland. In total we have an Irish onshore development pipeline of almost 1GW.
In the UK, EDF Renewables an operating portfolio of 36 wind farms and two battery storage units (together totalling almost 1GW). EDF Renewables operates in more than 20 countries around the world.