Abstract

Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) generation in Ireland could deliver up to 37 gigawatts of energy by 2050. A critical enabler for this will be wet storage, the temporary nearshore storage of FOW units in suitable areas prior to installation. Wet storage is expected to be particularly imperative in Ireland due to the harsh wave climate, resulting in narrower installation weather windows, off the Irish coast. This study is addressing the major unknowns surrounding wet storage, focusing on the technical challenges and identification of potential sites. The sites analysis was performed using advanced GIS software considering a range of geospatial criteria representing the various constraints restrictions and opportunities at play. A validation of the wave data used has been performed to assess accuracy. Furthermore, wave and tidal model downscaling has also been performed in order to adequately represent the oceanographic conditions inside some of the more enclosed areas/ports in the study area. Validation results have indicated generally good agreement between modelled and in-situ wave data, despite the tendency for the model to underestimate extreme values (i.e. during storm events). The results of the site suitability analysis reveal extensive areas of potential for wet storage within the Shannon Estuary and Bantry Bay on the southwest coast in addition to some limited potential at Belfast Lough in the north.