Fears that wind turbines off Waterford coast will be of ‘no benefit’ to county

Local councillors have expressed fears that wind turbines planned for off the coast of Waterford will be of “no benefit” to the county.

A presentation on Eirgrid’s plans for the south coast of Ireland was made at the January plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.

The project, titled ‘Powering Up Offshore South Coast’, does not involve the construction of wind turbines themselves.

Instead, it aims to build the infrastructure necessary to bring power generated by offshore windfarms into the national grid.

The plan would then be for private developers to construct offshore windfarms that would be connected via the new transmission system.

READ NEXT: No plans for e-scooter by-laws despite surge in Waterford tragedies

The project will see the construction of two offshore substation platforms and a number of onshore substations.

Councillors raised concerns when they were told that of the seven locations being considered as landfall sites, only one is located in Waterford.

By contrast, three sites are under consideration in both Cork and Wexford. The meeting later heard that the site in Waterford, located in Bunmahon, was “not a favourite” to be selected as a landfall location.

Independent councillor Blaise Hannigan said that whilst he has no issues with windfarms generally, he fears the project will be “of no benefit” to Waterford.

Fine Gael councillor Pat Nugent expressed similar concerns, saying that Waterford people will be looking at the turbines, but the benefits will go to Cork and Wexford.

In response, Eirgrid Public Engagement Programme Manager Graham Parker said that the project “will strengthen the whole region”.

He also noted the benefits of having more renewable energy for everyone living in Ireland.

Mr Parker said that Eirgrid has consulted with stakeholders and locals alike over the past two years.

Over the next two years, it plans on undertaking a number of marine and land surveys to examine the suitability of different locations.

It is foreseen that planning permission will be sought in 2028, in a process that could take two years. Eirgrid then plans to construct the infrastructure between 2030 and 2033.