Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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734. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the ESB's WestWave ocean energy project off County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10080/17]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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735. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the EU and national funding received by the WestWave ocean energy project off County Clare to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10081/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 734 and 735 together.

The WestWave project is a collaborative ocean energy project led by the ESB with the objective of accelerating the development of the ocean energy sector in Ireland.  ESB is working with a number of wave energy developers to realise this 5MW project off the coast of Clare, however the details in regard to the developers, procurement process and specific technologies involved are matters for ESB.

I am advised by the ESB that the WestWave project is expected to be operational by 2020.  This is a highly innovative project and it is imperative that the technical solution chosen would be appropriate for the challenging wave conditions off the west coast of Ireland.

Wave and tidal energy is still at the R and D stage globally, and while promising experimental devices have been developed, much more research, development and demonstration is required to bring wave energy technology to commercial viability.

In terms of funding, in July 2014 the WestWave project was awarded €23 million by the European Commission under the EU New Entrant Reserve (NER300) funding mechanism.  This is the only Irish project to receive funding under this scheme.

The project has also received funding of over €481,000 under the Prototype Development Fund administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The main focus of the fund is to stimulate the development and deployment of ocean energy devices and systems.