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Venterra Delivers Celtic Sea Metocean Study for Ireland’s South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan
Venterra is pleased to confirm the successful completion of a regional metocean characterisation study for the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP), another crucial step in Ireland’s renewable energy journey. This study, commissioned by Ireland’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), is a significant contribution to the preparation for Ireland’s forthcoming Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) Tonn Nua Offshore Wind Auction.
The study utilised advanced numerical modelling techniques and provided a robust 40-year hindcast dataset of metocean conditions across the SC-DMAP and its four Maritime Areas earmarked for offshore wind development. This extensive dataset covered a significant period and was analysed to assess operational and extreme conditions. These outputs, whilst helping to de-risk bid preparations for the upcoming auction, will also support developers in improving future offshore wind farms’ planning, engineering, and operational efficiency.
Key elements of the study included:
- Collation of existing metocean measurement data from the SC-DMAP area.
- Development and validation of site-specific hydrodynamic, wind and wave models.
- Statistical analyses of hindcast data to determine normal and extreme conditions.
- Production of comprehensive spatial maps for metocean conditions.
This work highlights Venterra’s expertise in delivering high-quality metocean data through innovative modelling and analysis techniques. The modelling results provide critical insights to facilitate informed decision-making for offshore wind development in the SC-DMAP area.
"DECC's commissioning of the SC-DMAP Metocean Study off Ireland's south coast must be commended. By providing a 40-year hindcast dataset, validated site-specific models, and spatial maps of metocean conditions, the output of this work will dramatically reduce uncertainty in engineering specifications and financial modelling and enable prospective developers to submit more accurate, efficient and risk-optimised bids for this year's Tonn Nua auction and future auctions.
The insights provided by the data will help streamline early development stages, accelerate the path to delivery for the Tonn Nua project, and exemplify best-practice data-driven risk mitigation. In the short term, it de-risks design choices by providing accurate metocean conditions for design parameters and accelerates permitting by ensuring better compliance with regulatory requirements, while longer-term benefits include lower lifecycle costs and a replicable framework for future plans and projects."
The proactive approach taken by DECC in commissioning this study reflects the commitment to supporting Ireland’s offshore wind ambitions. By enhancing data availability, DECC supports offshore renewable energy (ORE) development and strengthens Ireland’s ability to meet its renewable energy targets.
The SC-DMAP is a key component of Ireland’s ORE strategy, representing a transformative step in the country’s clean energy transition. This government-led maritime spatial planning initiative offers certainty to developers. The SC-DMAP identifies four Maritime Areas in the Irish part of the Celtic Sea within which proposed future ORE projects will be located, which in this instance relates to fixed offshore wind technology. One of these four maritime areas, known as Tonn Nua or Maritime Area A, has been identified to be developed by the winner of Ireland’s second offshore wind auction, which will take place later this year. With Tonn Nua’s remit to produce 900 MW of clean energy off the southeast coast, this project marks another milestone in Ireland’s renewable energy journey.
To access the outputs of the SC-DMAP Metocean Study you can visit the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) website at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications/publications/geophysical-data-for-tonn-nua-offshore-wind-auction/
For more information on the SC-DMAP, you can visit the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) website at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/20809-the-south-coast-designated-maritime-area-plan-for-offshore-renewable-energy-sc-dmap/
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