Oriel Wind Farm
Encyclopedia
Oriel Windfarm is a privately owned Irish sustainable
and renewable energy
company
. It was established in order to develop wind farm
s in Ireland
and the company’s first project is the development of an offshore wind farm
in the northwest
Irish Sea
.
The proposed Oriel wind farm will be located near Clogherhead
, approximately 22 km southeast
of Dundalk
, County Louth
, and approximately 24 km northeast
of Drogheda
. The farm takes its name from the ancient Kingdom of Oriel.
s flying above the site.
is expected to begin in early 2009. As of 2007, the proposed plans called for the wind farm to be constructed over 5 phases of 11 turbine
s each, each phase to be completed over a single construction season, lasting from April to October. Plans call for each phase to be fully commissioned and producing electricity
by the end of each working season. As of 2007, production was planned to commence in 2011, with the entire development completed by 2013.
or Dunany
in County Louth or Bremore in County Dublin
. The output of the wind farm will be sufficient to meet the average needs of approximately 250,000 households.
’s energy
requirements, the Irish government
has committed to increasing this to 15% by 2010 and 33% by 2020. Additionally, Ireland must, under the Kyoto Protocol
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above 1990 levels or else face fines from the EU. The Oriel wind farm could represent a significant contribution to achieving these targets.
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
and renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. It was established in order to develop wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
s in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the company’s first project is the development of an offshore wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in the northwest
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
The proposed Oriel wind farm will be located near Clogherhead
Clogherhead
Clogherhead is a fishing village in County Louth, Ireland. Located in a picturesque natural bay on the East Coast it is bordered by the villages of Annagassan to the north and Termonfeckin to the south. with an administrative population per the 2011 Census of 3026, it is in the townlands of...
, approximately 22 km southeast
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
of Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and approximately 24 km northeast
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
of Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
. The farm takes its name from the ancient Kingdom of Oriel.
Environmental impact
Detailed surveys and studies of the physical, ecological, and human environment at the proposed wind farm site have been carried out since 2003. These ranged from geotechnical assessments of the area to surveys of birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s flying above the site.
Construction
If all relevant consents are gained, preparatory constructionConstruction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
is expected to begin in early 2009. As of 2007, the proposed plans called for the wind farm to be constructed over 5 phases of 11 turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
s each, each phase to be completed over a single construction season, lasting from April to October. Plans call for each phase to be fully commissioned and producing electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
by the end of each working season. As of 2007, production was planned to commence in 2011, with the entire development completed by 2013.
Output
Once completed, the wind farm will be capable of generating up to 330 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The generated electricity will be fed into the National Grid at one of the following locations: CastlebellinghamCastlebellingham
Castlebellingham is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. The village has got a lot quieter since the construction of the new M1 motorway which bypasses the village...
or Dunany
Dunany
Dunany may refer to:* Dunany, Quebec* Dunany Point, Co. Louth, Ireland...
in County Louth or Bremore in County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
. The output of the wind farm will be sufficient to meet the average needs of approximately 250,000 households.
Renewable energy in the Republic of Ireland
At present, renewable energy accounts for approximately 3% of the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
’s energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
requirements, the Irish government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
has committed to increasing this to 15% by 2010 and 33% by 2020. Additionally, Ireland must, under the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above 1990 levels or else face fines from the EU. The Oriel wind farm could represent a significant contribution to achieving these targets.