About

About Western Star Floating Wind

Image: Courtesy of Principle Power: Dock90
Overview

The Western Star Project will be located at least 35km off the west coast of Co. Clare. The innovative floating technology proposed for this project will allow the turbines to be located far from shore and in waters over 100m deep where traditional fixed bottom turbine

By locating the turbines so far offshore, the visual impact of the wind farm on onshore communities is
greatly reduced. Additionally, locating the turbines further out to sea will place the farm in an area of higher wind energy potential. Click here to see our simulated views from shore of the nearest turbines at 35km from the coast.

Our Vision
Image: Courtesy of Principle Power: Dock90
Our Vision

Simply Blue Group

35km – 60km

Coastal Distance

1.35 GW

Total Capacity

1,145,000 homes

Equivalent potential power

Image: Courtesy of Principle Power: Dock90
Image: Courtesy of Principle Power: Dock90
Floating Offshore Wind

There are a wide range of technologies and design concepts in various stages of research and development across the FLOW industry spectrum. Each design concept offers pros and cons dependant on an array of variables including water depths and seabed composition.

Floating Offshore Wind(FOW) Technology

In 2016, and again in 2020, Simply Blue Group undertook a ‘Technology and Commercial Review’ of Floating Offshore Wind Foundations. It was determined that floating wind solutions have matured, and an increasing number of foundations are now financeable. Arrays of ever-increasing scale are being developed globally utilising a variety of technologies. Given the significant environmental conditions off the west coast of Ireland Simply Blue Group will undertake further engineering studies in co-operation with technology developers to understand the performance of floating foundation types, moorings and anchor solutions.

Examples

The following are examples of some of these floating technologies that have been deployed at sea at scale.

mage Credit - Ideol & V. Joncheray
Ideol – “damping Pool” style foundation
Image Credit - Ideol & V. Joncheray
Image Credit - Equinor, Øyvind Gravås
Equinor Hywind – “spar”
style foundation
Image Credit - Equinor, Øyvind Gravås
Photo courtesy of Principle Power. Artist: DOCK90
Principle Power Inc. WindFloat –
“Semi-submersible” style foundation
Photo courtesy of Principle Power. Artist: DOCK90
Projects
Other Simply Blue
Group Projects

In March 2020, Simply Blue Group announced a partnership with the energy giant Total to develop the Blue Gem Wind floating offshore wind portfolio, starting with Erebus, a 96 MW capacity project which will be in the Celtic Sea off the Welsh coast. This project will utilise semi-submersible WindFloat technology developed by Principle Power Inc.

Simply Blue Group announced Emerald in July 2020, another floating offshore wind project, off the south coast of Cork in the vicinity of the Kinsale gas platform which is currently being decommissioned. This project envisions the transformation of the maritime landscape in the area from a fossil fuel producing site into a zone for clean, renewable offshore wind energy. Find out more here.

Project Timeline

2021


Foreshore Site
Investigation Licence
Application
Development
Consent
Planning Interest
Secured
Marine Area
Consent
RESS Funding
Application
Manufacture,
Install & Delivery
Energy Export
to Grid-

2030