Ireland – Wind energy sector moving towards 2,000 megawatts of wind energy – CEO reflects on the development

Today Ireland has about 2,000 megawatts of wind energy. For each megawatt installed we employ, on average, one person. In Germany, eight people are employed for each megawatt installed. The difference is that Germany has established a manufacturing base which provides large-scale and long-term employment. Up to now, Ireland hasn’t had the scale to attract these big manufacturing opportunities.

Energy Bridge is that opportunity because it is an electricity generation and transmission system almost equal in size to Ireland’s existing system.

It will supply the UK with enough wind energy to power up to three-and-a-half million homes. Between the onshore and offshore wind farms, it will need 1,700 turbine towers, 5,000 blades, 1,700 nacelles, 16,000km of inter-array cabling, 1,700 converters, 30 electrical substations and 400km of HVDC underground cables.

Our goal is to get as much of this manufactured here in Ireland and we’re working behind the scenes to make this happen.

Mr De Jong also claims that “developers are running around the country trying to get as many farmers as possible signed up to put wind turbines on their land, before the Government wakes up and all the wind subsidies are withdrawn”. Mainstream’s Energy Bridge will export wind power to the UK and in doing so, the UK consumer will pay for it, not the Irish consumer.

Ireland gets the jobs, Ireland gets the €480m each year in tax revenues, Ireland gets the €34m each year in county council rates.

What Ireland needs right now is great opportunities and entrepreneurial companies to deliver the results. Ireland doesn’t need people sitting on the sidelines of society, slinging absolute rubbish at those who have the potential to deliver something good.

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