Ireland’s fragile marine ecosystems at risk from wind power growth, Coastwatch warns 

Ireland’s fragile marine ecosystems risk being subjected to increased pressures up to 2030 as offshore wind energy (OWE) is rapidly scaled up with fixed-foundation turbines that inevitably will be close to shore, according to Coastwatch.

The environmental group strongly supports the push to develop renewable energy, acknowledging offshore wind is an important element of Ireland’s switch from fossil fuels, and recognises “great strides and efforts in planning, research, legal, and funding being devoted to it”.

However, it warns: “As more and more industry-led exploration and plans are being rolled out, we are becoming increasingly concerned. Rapid growth and application of new marine technology, which has itself a significant carbon footprint, has both environmental and societal impact risks we must seek to minimise.”

Coinciding with Earth Day today, Coastwatch released a five-point offshore wind policy paper for the short term, so sufficient marine protection is in place until offshore wind’s environmental impact is clearer, rather than “steaming ahead with many unknowns”.

The NGO has been actively involved in consultation and negotiations on offshore wind projects for the past 21 years.

It also called for greater protection of Ireland’s blue carbon ecosystems, notably seagrass populations, which besides being an important protector of marine biodiversity are among the most intensive carbon sinks in the world.

Ireland has 10 times more sea than land, “so there should be oceans of space for locating offshore wind energy. However, fixed turbines are the most cost effective [at this point] and projects planned to be connected by 2030, which are all near shore”, said Coastwatch director Karin Dubsky.

Companies interested in setting up offshore wind energy “have risen dramatically, and it is difficult to keep an overview”, she said.

Several seismic exploration vessels could be going in the Irish Sea at any given time with underwater noise travelling and disturbing animals over wide areas.

“Inshore, we have seen several companies explore virtually the same [power] cable routes to shore. This multiplies exposure times in which sensitive biota are subject to harmful underwater noise and increases impact on plankton which we are only beginning to understand as a recent review highlights. Nature and people can’t afford such avoidable amplification of impact which arises as the current process is developer-led,” Ms Dubsky said.

She cited the case of south Wexford, where six offshore windfarms are planned, encroaching on eight Natura sites.

Companies were generating vast amounts of unshared data, and providing inadequate notification about surveying activities, she said.

“Public opinion will rapidly change against OWE without more openness and a State-led approach,” Ms Dubsky added. At present, she said the Government attitude seemed to be “you have to do it” with minimal consultation, though it has flagged a move to a plan-led system with designated areas.

On data, she said: “We need to better know our inshore waters. Citizen scientists are discovering highest value seagrass beds, maerl, honeycomb reef and other features which should be protected. We are certain companies are discovering key features while exploring siting and cable routes; but they are not obliged to share them.”

If Ireland wants to assemble and ship wind turbines from its ports, extensive widening and deepening of existing shipping channels, strengthening of quays and making available onshore land for storage and construction would be required, she accepted. “This will cause local immediate and long-term effects to ecosystems. At present, this does not seem to be accounted for in carbon footprint or offshore wind energy environmental impact.”

The year 2030 is the EU’s target for designating and managing 30 per cent of sea as marine protected areas (MPAs) to help bring seas back to health. Ireland also had plans to achieve good environmental status of its marine waters by 2028. “We fear that whether 30 per cent is designated as MPA or not, our inshore ecosystems are at risk of being in a worse state than today if we apply widespread increased pressures,” Ms Dubsky said.

“It requires a huge national and cross-border effort with a new approach to address our biodiversity crisis and climate crisis simultaneously. In that context we welcome the Citizens’ Assembly for Biodiversity report and welcome the establishment of the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce, bringing all authorities with responsibility for OWE together.”

Ms Dubsky echoed concerns about the extent to which seven favoured offshore windfarms given marine area consents by the Government are likely to have on coastal communities in the form of visual intrusion. Six farms in the Irish Sea and one off Connemara will have large fixed-bottom turbines and will be located near the shoreline – rather than using floating technology beyond the horizon. She noted that where turbines dominate the horizon they can have a “cage effect” when viewed from the coastline.