Renewable energy could create 200 new jobs

Date Published: 08-Nov-2012

BY DARA BRADLEY

The potential to create up to 200 new jobs in the offshore renewable energy sector at Galway Harbour is contingent on ambitious expansion plans for the port going ahead, a new report indicates.

The study by the Irish Marine Development Office says Galway Harbour is progressing towards becoming the west of Ireland’s “foothold in ocean and wave energy business” and that the offshore renewable energy sector has the potential to create up to 200 new positions in the city.

The 200 jobs’ projection in renewable energy at Galway Harbour is for a 10 to 15 years period, although it states that around 25 positions could be created by 2016 and up to 100 by 2021.

However, the report, Irish Ports Offshore Renewable Energy Services, notes that the existing harbour “has limited facilities to offer the offshore renewable energy sector”.

It says although contacts have been made with offshore windfarm developers, Galway Harbour has “no specific strategy in place to market the port as a centre for offshore wind and wave energy development”.

The report notes the Harbour Board’s plans for expansion offer huge potential for the marine renewable energy sector. “It is envisaged that an expanded Galway Harbour Business Park will host some small and medium enterprises sepcialising in ocean energy technologies, data management, marine communications, informatics, smart environmental sensors and ocean data buoys.

"Port facilities will also be made available for research and development and to test smart buoys and quarter scale wave energy converters before deployment at sea,” the report reads.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.