We at Energia Group and Vårgrønn are combining our expertise to develop at least 2 gigawatts of offshore wind projects across the island of Ireland by 2030, initially focusing on the southeast. Our partnership is uniquely positioned to expedite delivery of offshore wind in this region.
As published in Waterford Chamber’s Network Magazine
In August this year, we proudly announced our offshore wind partnership, which combines Energia Group’s local knowledge and renewable energy experience with Vårgrønn’s international offshore wind expertise. Preparatory work already carried out by Energia Renewables in the southeast positions us to deliver offshore wind projects that can provide renewable energy at the earliest possible date, while creating jobs and value within local communities.
Over the last four years, Energia Renewables has completed extensive development work at a potential offshore wind site in the North Celtic Sea, which could become home to 900 MW of clean power production, and a South Irish Sea site, also with the potential of 900 MW of renewable power capacity.
Across the sites, we have completed seabed surveys, collected almost three years of aerial data on birds and mammals, and completed detailed preparations for environmental impact assessments. We have established engagement programmes with local fisheries and communities. We have completed all this preparatory work to ensure our offshore wind projects will contribute positively to people and the environment. As companies, Energia Group and Vårgrønn each have strong commitments to sustainability. These commitments provide a foundation for how we together will develop offshore wind projects in Ireland.
Vårgrønn, a Norway-based company, brings learnings and experience from its international offshore wind projects into our joint projects here in Ireland. Fully focused on offshore wind, Vårgrønn has the concentrated focus of a specialist company. The fast-growing team brings deep expertise from the offshore energy sector, including experience in developing offshore wind projects. To each of its projects across Northern Europe, Vårgrønn brings an entrepreneurial spirit, while accessing the financial resources, systems and capabilities needed to deliver pioneering offshore wind projects.
Vårgrønn is one of three partners developing the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, off the Northeast of England. Dogger Bank delivered first power earlier this autumn. The Dogger Bank project has advanced the technology used in offshore wind, including deploying the latest turbine technology and the world’s first ultra-low emission offshore wind turbine installation ship. Vårgrønn now uses learnings from this project, as well as its other pipeline projects across Scotland, Norway and the Baltics, to inform the development of our joint projects in Ireland.
“We look forward to bringing Vårgrønn’s concentrated offshore wind expertise into the partnership and progressing projects together, building on the extensive development work already completed by the Energia team,” says Olav Hetland, Vårgrønn CEO. “Having strong local expertise is critical to successfully delivering projects that provide affordable power at scale and speed while contributing to local jobs creation. Energia Group’s long-standing local presence and track record with delivering a wide range of onshore renewable energy projects in Ireland, therefore makes them an ideal partner for us.”
Combined, our extensive preparatory work and specialist offshore wind expertise means our projects can be developed early enough to contribute significantly to delivering national climate targets, while strengthening energy security. Crucially, our offshore projects will bring significant investment to the local economy and spark job creation. A significant number of local supply chain jobs will be created in the region head of and during construction of each project. For decades to come the windfarms will create local jobs to undertake operations and maintenance work. The projects will bring substantial investment to ports and other key infrastructure in Ireland.
“We are pleased to be combining our experience of developing renewable energy projects in Ireland with Vårgrønn’s extensive offshore wind expertise and supply chain relationships,” says Ian Thom, Energia Group CEO. “Through the development work completed to date, our partnership can deliver new offshore capacity on the south and east coasts by 2030, ahead of any other projects in those areas, and in so doing, make a significant contribution to Ireland’s offshore wind targets. Our partnership underpins Energia Group’s commitment to climate action and the provision of renewable electricity to homes and businesses across the island of Ireland.”
Energia Group has been the proud Sustainable Energy Partner for Waterford Chamber since 2021.
About Vårgrønn
Vårgrønn is an agile, Norway-based offshore wind company, powering Europe’s energy transition through development, construction, operation, and ownership of offshore wind projects and related infrastructure. Vårgrønn is a joint venture between the energy company Plenitude (Eni) and the Norwegian energy entrepreneur and investor HitecVision. Vårgrønn is powered by a team with decades of collective offshore experience and accesses additional on-demand expertise and capacity from its owners.
Vårgrønn’s current pipeline of projects and prospective projects spans England, Scotland, Ireland and Norway, in addition to early-stage initiatives in the Baltics. Vårgrønn currently holds a 20 percent stage in the world’s largest offshore windfarm under construction, Dogger Bank in the UK, and have received exclusivity to develop up to 1.9 GW of floating offshore wind in Scotland together with partner Flotation Energy. Vårgrønn targets at least 5 GW of offshore wind in operation or sanctioned by 2030 across Northern Europe. Vårgrønn aims to be a frontrunner on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance within the offshore wind industry.
Offshore Stakeholder and Communications Manager