This article is from page 8 of the 2014-03-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
THE first wave energy farm in Eu- rope is being planned for waters off Killard near Doonbeg. It could begin operating as early as 2018 according to the ESB. The energy company confirmed last week that its West Wave project will go ahead off the West Clare coast, and that five wave energy de- vices will initially be deployed to help “prove” that the technology can work on a commercial scale. The project is expected to cost between € 40 million and € 50 million. The company has secured a foreshore licence, and a number of environmental studies are currently under way that will take up to 18 months to complete. Planning permission will also have to be secured before the project goes ahead. According to reports, the ESB hopes to prove that the fledgling technology is durable and can produce power on an ongoing basis, which will help drive the wave industry forward. West Wave has been described as a critical project for the whole ocean energy business. The ambitious plans are being supported by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which is providing € 1.3m in funding to help complete feasibility studies. Five firms have been shortlisted to supply the technology, and the successful bidder will be chosen by the middle of 2016. The successful bidder will supply five devices, which will be moored in an area of one square kilometre. The ESB aims to produce 26 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and become ‘carbon neutral’ by 2050.