Labour’s Harry Barrett has hit out at the failure of Government to provide a €2 million grant aid package promised to the county for wave energy.
The Mayo Energy Audit 2009-2030 investigates how the county of Mayo might adapt to the challenge posed by fossil fuel depletion and global warming. It is intended to form the basis for a comprehensive strategic energy action plan for Mayo. The audit has examined all of Mayo’s renewable energy resources as well as considering the future role of fossil fuels. Conducted by the Sustainability Institute the audit states that wave energy will not develop significantly in Ireland “for at least a decade” due to investment difficulties and the “unproven nature” of the technology. The crux of the problem is demand. The energy audit clearly demonstrates the limitations of renewable sources of energy, even in a county like Mayo with good resources and a relatively low population.
It also stated that the Corrib gas field would be of “minor” benefit to the county.
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan outlined that in 2008 the ocean energy strategy would include €2 million to develop a grid-connected wave energy test site in North Mayo. However, over a year after a €26 million ocean energy programme was unveiled by Minister Ryan, only a fraction of the funding has been released.
Barrett stated: “A test site for this technology was identified in north Mayo, €2 million was granted to begin the project and nothing has been done since. This is a disgrace. Ireland, and Mayo in particular, could be to ocean energy what Finland has been to mobile phones. Applications for the grant-aid scheme from industry were only advertised by the Department in November and no money was paid out last year.
“It is crucial that elected representatives, Mayo County Council and the Western Development Commission drive this project. Mayo needs to get back to producing again and for this we need leadership that will access such funding quickly and efficiently. I have also major concerns in relation to the study’s verdict on the Corrib Gas field.”
In another development by the Sustainability Institute, headed by former Green Party member Andy Wilson who is running as an independent candidate for Westport in the upcoming election, it focused on Mayo as a county with wind and wave energy potential. As the third-largest county, Mayo has the third lowest population density. It looked at Mayo as the location for the planned processing of natural gas from the Corrib field. It stated that the benefits would be “minor” for the county. Instead it states that Mayo’s coniferous forestry resource is “potentially of major significance” in fuel terms, while good opportunities exist to produce biogas from renewable or waste sources.
