'The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind': mixed reaction from locals at Waterford offshore wind farm consultation

Local residents were cautiously optimistic about proposed offshore wind farm works on the Waterford coast at a consultation event held at the Coast Guard Cultural Centre in Tramore.

EirGrid, the semi-state company managing the country’s power grid, invited residents across the Copper Coast to several information events.

The project is part of a Government-led initiative to build offshore wind farms off the south coast, beginning with a farm in an area called Tonn Nua which would provide enough energy to power almost one million homes.

EirGrid is not going to build the wind farm; tenders will open for delivery in early 2025, but it will build the enabling equipment to connect the future wind farm to the national grid. The semi-state is looking to build two offshore substations on elevated platforms.

“The project aims to deliver on the department's Climate Action plans. We are looking to deliver 5 GW of offshore wind off the coast and 900 megawatts of that will be off the south coast of Waterford, Cork and Wexford,” said a spokesperson for EirGrid at the information session in Tramore.

“The department recently launched the South Coast [Designated Maritime Area Plan], which this project is part of Area A, Tonn Nua. So with the public engagement that we've had for the last couple of weeks, and running until Friday, the 24th of January, we're very much looking to local communities to get their feedback on the plans of the project," he said

“Their local knowledge is really, really valuable because it will help us to determine how we go about delivering the product, and also informing them about how they can be involved in the project going forward," he added.

“For the public engagement, we have experts here from the marine side, from the technical engineering side, so the public can come in and hear from our team about what is involved, and how it might impact them.”

The EirGrid spokesperson said that public reaction has been “generally quite positive” and that the public seem quite interested in the next steps for the project.

"There have also been a lot of questions about the impact on the environment and the marine. We are looking at environmental studies and marine studies so we can have the least amount of impact on the environment as possible and so it is done in the most positive way for the communities who are involved,” the spokesperson said.

Locals who attended the event were positive about the project but noted concerns about the visual impacts of the project and the possible effects on the region’s fisheries.

John Carney, a retired lecturer in Construction Management at Waterford Institute of Technology, said that he was given an “excellent explanation” from the EirGrid staff at the consultation regarding the proposed offshore wind farm.

“I would be concerned about the disruption to the marine life. I live near Dunmore East and there’s a strong fishing community there and that needs to be protected," said Mr Carmey.

He said he hopes that EirGrid is accounting for the fishermen whose livelihoods he fears could be impacted by the works, commenting: "It’s hard to imagine a project of this scale not having some knock-on effect.” 

Mr Carney said he is in favour of the offshore wind project: “As Bob Dylan said, ‘The answer my friend is blowing in the wind!”

“I think that any renewable power is better than fossil fuels. The idea that we could use wind and solar to generate most of our electricity needs; these are the areas that we should be looking towards.” 

Michael Kelly, a local resident, said that he thinks building an offshore wind farm off the coast of Waterford is a great idea.

“Personally, I am super aware of the damage our natural gas use is doing to our country,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be in favour of any nuclear plants now anywhere in the country, so if we have to look at a couple [of] turbines off the coast to have clean energy I wouldn’t be too bothered about that now.”

Mr Kelly, who is a retired mechanic, said the construction fees would create a lot of jobs in the south east, commenting: “I might even have to get back to work if they run out of skilled staff to work on the construction."

Jim McCann, from Tramore, said he believes the people of Tramore are being ignored in the consultation process that Eirgrid is carrying out.

“As a resident of Tramore, we are being asked to attend a consultation and one would expect a consultation to be a two-way communication where one listens to the proposal and one gives one’s own impression," he said, adding: "They are then advised by the feedback.” 

However, Mr McCann believes that local voices and concerns have not been listened to, as various Government bodies have held similar consultations around offshore wind projects in recent years.

“Clearly they are railroading through the proposal to install 300-feet high wind turbines a mere 12km off the coast – off the Copper Coast – thereby destroying the visual amenity and the potential to subject residents like myself to adverse living conditions without there being any sort of redress system," he said.

Mr McCann, who owns a home with a coastal view, said: "No one is talking about a system of redress for the loss of property prices because they have lost the view from their home.”

“Tramore residents are not being listened to currently, this is my third experience [at a public consultation]," he said.