Mr. Noel Cunniffe:

On behalf of Wind Energy Ireland I would like to thank the Chair and the committee for this opportunity . I am joined by my colleagues: Mr. Justin Moran, director of external affairs; Ms Vanessa O’Connell, head of Inis Offshore Wind and vice-chairperson of our offshore supply chain working group; and Mr. Kieran Ivers, CEO of Green Rebel. Wind Energy Ireland represents the Irish wind industry, working to promote wind energy as an essential part of our low carbon energy future. It is important to emphasise that we represent the whole supply chain. As might be expected, our members manufacture turbines, develop projects and operate wind farms. They also include Irish engineering, transport, surveying and planning companies. Together, our industry employs approximately 6,000 people. For us, it is not enough that we develop the 5,000 MW of offshore wind energy set out in the climate action plan and the even greater potential in the deeper waters off our south and west coasts. We want to see Irish wind farms creating jobs in Ireland, supporting Irish businesses, providing training and education opportunities for Irish workers, and growing a thriving new industry.

I would like to begin by briefly telling the committee the story of two countries, Ireland and Scotland. Ireland’s only existing offshore wind farm, Arklow Bank, became operational in 2004, nearly two decades ago. It consists of seven wind turbines and, at the time, it was one of the largest offshore wind farms in Europe. It was the first time a wind turbine with a generating capacity of 3 MW was ever installed anywhere in the world and it is still operating today. I would ask members to consider this for a moment; at one time Ireland was at the cutting edge of offshore wind energy and then we stopped. It was a full three more years before the first Scottish offshore wind farm started generating electricity but Scotland did not stop. As of 2019 there were 4,700 people employed in Scotland’s offshore wind sector and it contributed nearly £1 billion to the Scottish economy. Today, there is almost 2,000 MW of offshore wind operational in Scotland and another 8,400 MW in construction or advanced development. It is no surprise that in 2020 renewable energy provided 97% of Scotland’s power. Put simply, in the 2000s we did not take advantage of an enormous opportunity and I am here today to ask for the support of committee members to ensure we do not make the same mistake again.

With climate change and the crisis in Ukraine there is an even more urgent responsibility to transform our energy system to one that is clean, secure and equitable, while protecting our marine environment and securing the confidence of fishing and coastal communities. Offshore wind will deliver greater energy security; it is the key to our energy independence. With the right approach - with Government, industry and coastal communities working together - we can build a new industrial sector, supporting regional development, creating thousands of jobs and driving sustainable growth. Other European countries, like Poland and Britain, have put in place an industrial strategy and a sector deal between the domestic offshore industry and those Governments. These bring together the offshore renewables industry and the relevant state agencies and Government departments to maximise the value of the industry domestically for clean growth, which includes a strong focus on building the domestic supply chain. We want a sector deal for Ireland but first we need to ensure our port infrastructure is ready.

In May 2020, we published an analysis called Harnessing our Potential. It was produced by the Carbon Trust, which is a leading UK-based consultancy. Harnessing our Potential is still the most comprehensive analysis to date of Ireland's offshore supply-chain potential. It included a thorough examination of Irish ports and harbours. Ports have two key roles in supporting offshore wind energy. They can serve as an operations and maintenance base for an offshore wind farm. Larger ports with extensive infrastructure can provide construction or marshalling services. Several Irish harbours are suitable as operations and maintenance bases. Members of this committee may be aware that two of our members, namely, Codling Wind Park and SSE with its Arklow Bank Wind Park, have already announced that if their projects are successful that they will use Wicklow and Arklow harbours, respectively, as their bases.

Each base translates to approximately 80 full-time jobs. Each base is normally accompanied by extensive investment in local services and port infrastructure.  However, when it comes to construction and marshalling services, at present the only port on the island of Ireland can do this, which is Belfast Harbour. The facilities at Belfast are first class but we will need much more. We cannot deliver our offshore energy ambitions from a single port.

It is important that members appreciate that if projects cannot find suitable available ports in Ireland, they can, and will, build from ports on the west coast of Britain, from France and even from the Netherlands. Some of these ports already engage with our projects. Irish wind farms could create jobs in Cherbourg and support businesses in Rotterdam. As we stated in May 2020, strategic investment must be directed urgently into Irish ports to enable them to build the infrastructure needed to support the construction of offshore wind energy. We are currently carrying out a new analysis of existing port infrastructure and the expansion plans to meet the needs of offshore renewables that a number of these ports are bringing forward. We will complete this analysis over the summer and I look forward to sharing it with the committee then.

As well as an infrastructure gap, we face a skills gap. For example, we will need hundreds of new wind-turbine technicians. Right now, with the support of Skillnet Ireland, we train between ten to 20 people every year with our partners in Green Tech Skillnet. In addition, a turbine technician apprenticeship programme in Kerry awaits validation but these initiatives will not be enough. Already we have seen our members and State bodies struggle to recruit ecologists, marine biologists and planners. We will literally need thousands of civil, electrical and marine engineers.

I spoke to colleagues from the British and Scottish offshore wind energy industry at an Enterprise Ireland event last week. I was struck by how they too have identified a shortage in skills and personnel as one of their most significant challenges. Last year, the expert group on future skills needs published the Skills for Zero Carbon report and I will highlight a small number of its recommendations. The report recommended co-ordinated planning for training within the renewable energy sector through partnerships between Government, industry and training providers, the prioritising of training for jobs in renewable energy that are set to be in high demand, including marine planners, turbine technicians, hydrogen specialists and other technical roles, the expansion of existing maritime training to meet demand from the offshore energy sector and engagement with the fishing community to give people with experience working at sea the option to transfer into the offshore wind sector. The report concluded by noting "Given the urgency of meeting Ireland’s climate action goals, it is crucial that ... these recommendations are prioritised ... and are centrally driven by Government ... working in close collaboration with industry and the education and training system." We fully endorse the report and urge the committee to support the establishment of this implementation group, as quickly as possible.

It is important to acknowledge several significant recent positive initiatives that have been taken by the Government. Late last year, the Department of Transport published an updated policy statement that set out a strategy for commercial ports to facilitate offshore renewable energy. The Department also worked successfully with other EU member states to amend the Connecting Europe Facility criteria to allow EU funding of port infrastructure for offshore wind. This initiative has enabled some Irish ports to apply for that funding to expand for servicing offshore wind energy but not all. The Department has also established a port co-ordination group to discuss issues around port

We would like to welcome the establishment of the cross-departmental offshore wind delivery task force, which will include a focus on supply-chain issues. Our industry would welcome the opportunity to join the task force and work together to ensure that there is a determined focus on maximising the economic benefits of offshore wind energy to Ireland. Finally, I commend the efforts of Enterprise Ireland in particular, which last week launched an Irish offshore wind supply-chain cluster called the Gael Offshore Network. The network consists of more than 65 Irish companies, including many of our members.

Irish businesses are already getting ready for Ireland's offshore renewable energy potential and some are starting to compete internationally. We have enough offshore wind power to power this country and export energy as both electricity and green hydrogen. The need is there and the potential is there. If Irish ports and businesses are not able to take advantage of this opportunity, then there is no doubt that others will step in. The chance to develop a skills base and an industry that can compete internationally in a rapidly growing global renewable energy market will be lost. This is the time for Ireland to seize the opportunity, and bring together industry, policymakers and communities to ensure these multi-billion euro investments in zero-carbon generation create thousands of skilled jobs at home, and regenerate coastal communities right around the island. We need to unite industry, Government, the relevant State agencies, and our fishing and coastal communities behind a shared vision for true energy independence and the creation of a thriving offshore renewable energy industry.