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Project title

Informing and Mapping the Offshore Renewable Environment

Primary Funding Agency

Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions Ltd.

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

Offshore wind energy is rapidly coming of age, with lobal offshore wind output at the end of 2018 at approximately 20GW. In parallel with the increased volume of offshore energy, there has been a dramatic reduction in the Levellised Cost of Energy (LCOE) for recent European projects. However, despite offshore wind gaining global traction and Ireland being one of the earliest movers of this technology when the Arklow Bank Phase 1 wind farm was commissioned in 2004, Ireland are now significantly behind the curve with respect to global offshore wind markets. The I-MORE project will act as a pilot study to demonstrate the potential for early stage national survey campaigns to provide baseline data to inform marine spatial planning and optimised offshore wind developments. The project will focus on gathering early stage site information with respect to geological, geophysical, geotechnical and metocean conditions to allow a holistic view of an offshore zone/site to be determined. The output of the project will be a high resolution geotechnical ground model with the data made freely available according to a GIS open source database. In addition, guidance on how this model can be used will be provided, as well as marine spatial planning guidance. Ultimately, this I-MORE project is going to demonstrate the potential for these surveys to be paid for directly upfront and delivered at a national level and disseminated through public platforms which will reduce the overall cost of the project and therefore save money for the tax payer.

Grant Approved

�504,129.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities

Start Date

01/01/2020

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/12/2022