Marine

Afloat

In March 2019 the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) announced funding of €35m from Interreg North West Europe for a project to deploy a full-scale floating wind turbine at a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) test site off the coast of Mayo close to Belmullet. The goal of the project, which is known as AFLOWT (Accelerating market uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology), is to demonstrate the survivability and cost-competitiveness of the floating wind turbine and, at the same time, support the development of an active supply chain in the region. This is a significant with regards to renewable energy and the development of the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS). It is envisaged that Frenchport & Ballyglass pier will play a role in the preparation and maintenance of the test site. The potential for Job creation will occur at various stages and timelines within this offshore renewable energy project.