Ocean policy and funding

National funding and policy

National Energy RD&D Funding Programme

The SEAI National Energy Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme invests in innovative energy RD&D projects which contribute to Ireland's transition to a clean and secure energy future.

Offshore Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap

The Offshore Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap maps the pathway to harnessing Ireland's ORE potential. ORE deployment has a crucial role to play in driving the decarbonisation of the Irish electricity system whilst also unlocking economic and societal benefits for Ireland.

Overall the ORE technology roadmap supports a coordinated Government approach to realising the potential of each key ORE technology. This is achieved by assessing the readiness of technologies and considering both the latest relevant technology innovations, and any future innovations, for relevant ORE technologies to the Irish context.

Modelling scenarios

Technology trajectories are examined through techno-economic modelling scenarios. Metrics such as annual deployment rates and technology performance, costs are utilised to produce projections of technology performance in the Irish market up to 2050.

Techno-economic projections provide a basis for comparing the impact of different deployment pathways which vary the mixture of technologies utilised and the volumes of offshore renewable energy being delivered. In turn, the scenario analysis elucidates the critical decision points and options mapping, for successful implementation in Ireland for offshore renewable energy targets.

By reviewing the Irish policy and regulatory landscape in addition to international best practices, the roadmap process elucidates the required policies, regulatory frameworks, Government supports, standards, skills for delivery, that need to be established, and when, to achieve the technology's decarbonisation potential. It also highlights the research opportunities for Ireland and identifies the skills needed to deliver this ORE sector.

OceanSET

The OceanSET project is a three-year H2020 funded project (2022-2025), which focuses on delivering the actions of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan or 'SET Plan' for Ocean Energy.

Aims of OceanSET

The European Commission established SET Plan to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies. It seeks to improve new technologies and bring down costs through coordinated national research efforts; promote cooperation among EU countries, companies and research institutions, and in so doing also deliver on the key objectives of the energy union.

SEETIP Ocean

OceanSET is the branding of the Implementation Working Group for Ocean Energy (OE-IWG) where its current activities are supported by the Horizon Europe project 'SEETIP Ocean'. SEETIP Ocean supports both the OE-IWG and the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Ocean Energy.

SEETIP focuses on assessing the progress of the Ocean Energy sector and monitors national and EU funded projects. Relevant data is collected annually over three years and used to inform Member States and the EC on the progress of the sector. More information on OceanSET, including the reports from the first two years of the project can be found at www.oceanset.eu.

Accelerating market uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology

AFLOWT (Accelerating market uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology) is a five-year project that aims to demonstrate the survivability and cost-competitiveness of a floating offshore wind technology. Funding for the project is sourced from Interreg North West Europe to accelerate the uptake of floating offshore wind.

The project launched in 2019 is led by EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre) working with technology partner SAIPEM and test site owner SEAI, along with MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands), UCC (University College Cork), ESB (Electricity Supply Board), Fraunhofer IWES (Institute for Wind Energy Systems) and CaLiCyA (Cable Life Cycle Assurance).

Ocean Energy Ireland Portal

For other links to research and enterprise opportunities in Ireland, and links to open access data collected for the offshore renewable sector, please visit the ocean energy portal here - www.oceanenergyireland.com