Ireland to sign wind energy export deal with UK
The Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, and his British counterpart, Edward Davey, will today sign a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Ireland to export wind-generated electricity to Britain.
The move will lead to a full inter-governmental agreement.
The Irish Wind Energy Association has welcomed the news, and described it as a hugely important initial step in delivering an energy trade agreement.
The IWEA says up to 30,000 indigenous jobs could be created countrywide in renewable energy, if the required enablers along with this agreement are put in place.
The National Offshore Wind Association of Ireland said that the export drive will offer opportunity for all renewable energy developers, offshore wind, onshore wind and others.
A spokesman for the organisation said: “The offshore wind energy sector is the immediate winner in this sector. Ireland has a number of offshore wind projects which are ‘shovel ready’.
“Today’s announcement gives them the route to market that they needed. We are looking forward to the two Governments working together to put in place the mechanisms to make the MoU a workable reality.”
