A €1m award by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has enabled Irish companies and research institutions to collaborate on seven innovative European energy projects. Advanced, highly-efficient, and renewable energy systems will be central to studies, with funding for Irish participants provided by SEAI through the Department of Communications (additional support was also leveraged from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme). The Government’s Climate Action Plan, published last year, sets out actions across every sector to ensure we meet our future climate commitments. The ‘Plan’ highlights the importance of research in meeting this challenge, together with the need for competitive funding rounds to bankroll the pursuit of innovation.
Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, said: “Ireland has the opportunity to become a global leader in offshore energy. The Climate Action Plan will see us increase the amount of renewables on our grid from the current level of around 35% for electricity generation to 70%. At least 3,500MW will come from offshore wind. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme will provide the first opportunity for offshore wind to come onto our grid at scale. Building the capacity to be innovative in this sector and in many other areas of opportunity in a decarbonising world will be vital to our future.”
William Walsh, CEO of SEAI added: “These competitive energy research initiatives have attracted very strong interest internationally, so I would like to congratulate each Irish recipient and their international collaborators on their success. As SEAI continues to strengthen Ireland’s energy research landscape, I am delighted that we can facilitate Irish participation in these initiatives by providing research funding and support. These collaborative projects bring people together to create new ideas, form new partnerships and find solutions to the challenges we face as we transition towards a cleaner energy future.”
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