Mapping the Shallow Geology of the Irish Sea for Marine Spatial Planning of Offshore Renewable Energy (Map-MORE)

Project Description

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2019 targets at least 3.5 GW of offshore renewable energy for Ireland by 2030 with the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) identifying a long-term potential of 70 GW of offshore renewable energy (ORE) within 100 km of the Irish coastline. To realise this potential and facilitate the development of ORE, the CAP has set an action to identify “suitable offshore zones...for offshore development” in conjunction with the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). In countries where offshore windfarms have been successfully developed (e.g. Netherlands), state institutions provided site data to developers, limiting their exposure to risk and helping to reduce the cost of offshore wind significantly. The lack of certainty with respect to the geological conditions for any offshore project may significantly hamper or delay development. The fiscal implications of poor background knowledge of ground conditions before construction onset are well demonstrated by previous projects. For example, the Atlantic Array and Celtic Array projects in the UK have failed due to technical challenges (e.g. variable rock levels) being identified late in the design process as new information became available about the complex conditions. Understanding the seabed sediments and sub-surface structure with regard to siting offshore windfarms, therefore, becomes a first order need and the first stage assessment towards a sustainable, national marine energy development strategy. Map-MORE will go beyond just understanding sub-surface structure by providing valuable geotechnical data for sediments and identifying new ground investigation techniques suitable for the Irish Sea that provide cost reduction.