Dep Éamon Ó Cuív has welcomed the announcement that an international engineering firm, Atkins, has won a contract following a tender process to develop a masterplan for an offshore wind energy hub on Údaras na Gaeltachta-owned lands in Ros a’ Mhíl.
The hub, according to an Údarás-commissioned feasibility study, could support up to 900 jobs in the Connemara Gaeltacht, serving multiple floating and fixed wind farms off the west coast.
The new masterplan will involve planning the port development, carrying out an economic assessment, detailing the engineering and logistical requirements, and creating a green port development plan with a view of attaining net-zero operations.
Welcoming this news, the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Rural Affairs and the Islands said: “Never has it been more vital that we use our vast offshore wind resource to create renewable energy and ensure the security of our own energy supply.
“The development of Ros a’ Mhíl as an offshore wind energy hub is likely to have a profound impact on the economy of the Gaeltacht regions of Conamara and the Aran Islands,” Dep Ó Cuív added. “In terms of economic impact, I understand that the GVA for the Galway Gaeltacht is estimated at € 2,380m.”
