Coastal erosion on Brittas Bay beach, which SECPA say will increase should the wind farm be developed

OFFSHORE WIND FARM locations are to be chosen by the government in the future to protect biodiversity.

Fixed-bottom wind farms need to be built in shallower waters, which has worried some locals about the impact on the coast and biodiversity.

When choosing new locations, the government will “ensure that development takes place with full consideration for the protection of [the] marine environment and biodiversity”.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment told us that “all offshore wind projects are required to give careful consideration to the impact of a development on seascape and landscape”.

This change was included in a policy paper in 2023 before all six of the offshore wind farms currently in different stages of development were proposed. The locations for those were chosen by the developers.

The Journal Investigates recently examined who controls this lucrative natural resource and showed how little involvement Ireland actually has at an official level in the projects.

Just two Irish companies hold a significant stake in the six projects currently in the pipeline off our coast.

A large 56-turbine wind farm on the Arklow Bank off Co Wicklow is one such project with no Irish investor.

This plans to generate 800 MW of electricity and is being developed by Scottish energy company SSE plc. That is likely enough to power all the homes in Co Dublin.

The South East Coastal Protection Alliance (SECPA) is arguing that the wind farm will damage the Arklow sandbank, leading to increased coastal erosion as a result of a change to the strong tidal forces.

“It’s going to be devastating to the coastline should the next wind farm go ahead where it’s being proposed,” Michael Higgins, chair of SECPA, told The Journal Investigates.

They are not opposed to renewable energy but want the development to be located further out to sea.