Construction Ireland Construction Directory
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Share this page
Construction News
22/11/2011

Ministers Target Offshore Grid Infrastructure

The Irish Republic, Northern Ireland and Scotland are each to be represented by local governemnt ministers who will meet later this week to discuss the issues raised in a major study on a future offshore grid infrastructure.

This aims at linking the countries, as well as other areas where the countries have mutual and shared energy, environmental and economic interests.

The tripartite meeting will take place this Wednesday, alongside a major conference on the Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES), an EU INTERREG IV-funded project.

The ISLES study assesses the opportunities, challenges and barriers to developing an offshore grid infrastructure which will deliver greater co-operation and energy trading between the countries.

The study will look at the issues of developing support mechanisms to allow closer integration and trading between energy markets, specifically in the GB-Irish context

Just this week UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry made a speech looking forward to greater cross border cooperation in the development of renewable energy between Great Britain and Ireland.

Energy minister Fergus Ewing has welcomed the study, and Mr Hendry's comments.

Mr Ewing said: "This study will show the great potential benefits of cooperation between our countries in renewable energy.

-- Advertisement --

"I welcome Charles Hendry's comments, which acknowledge the importance of cross-border cooperation between Ireland and the UK, and the huge revenue benefits it could bring.

"This underlines the case the Scottish Government has been making about moving beyond national territories into a Single European Energy Market and his comments demonstrate Scotland is plugged into an interconnected Europe.

"Mr Hendry's speech clearly shows energy from Scotland will have a vital part to play in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe, whatever our constitutional future.

"In reality, as our countries move towards a greater reliance on renewable energy, cross-border cooperation will only increase."

Key passages from UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry speech include: "Movement towards a Single European Energy Market presents a real opportunity for Ireland and the UK to achieve substantial revenue benefits from electricity exports.

"In addition to exports, there are other benefits from deeper co-operation and greater energy trading between Britain and Ireland. As trusted friends, with close personal, business and government to government connections, Britain and Ireland can each have confidence in security of supply from the other. Much of Ireland's gas comes through Britain and we would welcome Irish-generated electricity forming part of Britain's energy mix.

"We hope that our open and competitive energy market will make it possible for Irish companies to increase their market presence there in the future,"he continued. "There is clear political commitment behind this co-operation. Some of you may be aware that earlier this year Ministers from the Governments of the United Kingdom, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Republic, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man signed up to co-operate on exploiting the major wind and marine resources in and around the islands.

"This All Islands Approach to optimise our use of low carbon energy resources around these islands will encourage and enable developers to harness as much of our renewable energy sources as cost-effectively as possible, increasing the integration of our markets, and improving our security of supply.

"We are looking at how the UK's existing and future support mechanisms could be used to support generation outside of the UK and the policy will need to consider and take account of the new mechanisms we are putting in place as part of Electricity Market Reform."

(GK)

Latest Construction News

03/05/2024

Construction work has commenced on a new £9 million build at Rowandale Integrated Primary School in Moira. Funding from the Fresh Start Programme will facilitate the establishment of a new, modern primary school, with 14 classrooms and a nursery unit capable of accommodating over 340 ...
03/05/2024

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. together with Leas Chathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Gerry McMonagle, has opened the Greencastle Harbour Breakwater. The 270-metre Breakwater aims to improve the protection of vessels in the harbour against wave ...
03/05/2024

NI Water has initiated a £3.5 million improvement programme at Newcastle Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW). Murphy Dawson Wam JV is undertaking the project, which focuses on improving the three-stage treatment process at the current facility. This will entail installing new filtration gear and a ...
03/05/2024

Bennett Construction has announced that it has achieved Practical Completion (PC) on the Tristan Square Development in Chapelizod, Dublin. The project includes the construction of 180 social and affordable apartments split in to one, two and three bed homes over three blocks. Each of the units are ...
03/05/2024

SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland have revealed that Microsoft has committed to a lengthy Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with the co-developers. This agreement will inject 30MW of wind energy into Ireland's power grid through the recently launched Lenalea Wind Farm, located near ...
03/05/2024

Farrans has announced that it has collected three awards, including one Gold, at the Considerate Constructor Scheme's National Awards. The CCS National Awards honour outstanding sites, organisations and people who show exceptional commitment to the Code of Considerate Practice in Community, ...
03/05/2024

County Down headquartered GRAHAM has started construction work on a new £59 million low-carbon development in Edinburgh. The Burnet Point scheme in Abbey Lane which combines student flats, build-to-rent and affordable homes is the first-ever mixed-use residential development of its kind by Unite ...
03/05/2024

Alliance's Housing spokesperson, Kellie Armstrong MLA, has welcomed the NI Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA) commitment to reduce carbon emissions in social homes and combat climate change. Housing associations are currently in the process of developing a scheme set to launch this autumn. ...
03/05/2024

Fibrus has announced that it has exceeded its 80,000 customer milestone, as it gains over 50,000 customers in just one year. The broadband provider burst on to the scene to transform the digital infrastructure of rural and regional areas of Northern Ireland and has shaken up the market due to its ...
03/05/2024

Infrastructure Minister, John O'Dowd, has announced his support for the 'No Mow May' approach to help promote biodiversity on the roadside during this month. The Department for Infrastructure oversees the maintenance of 45,000km of grass verges along the road network. In recent years, it has been ...
Materials Market LtdNorthwest Drilling ServicesMaterials Market LtdToner Damp Proofing SuppliesMcHale Plant Sales LtdFITACTool FixShannonside GalvanizingCarlow Concrete TanksSlanetrac
Terms and Conditions
2024/05/04 16:49:56