Energy company SSE Renewables, based in the UK, has announced that Phase II of the Arklow Bank Wind Park’s offshore ground investigation work is now complete. A team from subsea services company Fugro completed the geotechnical works by boarding DEME’s DP2 offshore installation vessel, Neptune. The 800 MW project’s development site, which is situated 6–13 km from the coast of Ireland, has undergone investigations at various locations.
The Phase II of the Arklow Bank Wind Park is slated to produce 800 MW of power and is situated close to Arklow, County Wicklow. Once it is fully operational, the wind farm will be able to power 850,000 homes and offset around 830 billion kgs of carbon emissions annually. A total investment of $2.49 billion is anticipated to be needed. It is predicted that the Arklow Bank Wind Park will start producing power in 2028 and be finished the following year.
In March 2022, SSE Renewables announced its intention to apply for a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) for its Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase II project under Ireland’s new consenting regime. This transfer from the current route of delivery via the Foreshore Act into the MAC regime has been notified to the relevant authorities. The said project, now progressing through the MAC regime, will be delivered later than initially envisaged.
