Brexit Blues: Marine Energy Opportunities for the North West of Ireland

At the recent annual Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA) annual conference in Dublin, a new environment was very much in evidence: Scotland is slipping! 

Having been in the marine energy development vanguard for the last decade, Brexit seems to herald a slow-down in support for blue energy policies and investment.  This is, as was posited over and over again at the conference, a huge opportunity for the Republic of Ireland: to take up where Scotland is sadly leaving off.

One speaker presented three key slides.  The first referred to 2015 and said Go! He spoke about how it was all systems go for Scottish marine energy policy and supports and investment and how the future seemed bright for Scotland to continue in its global number 1 position for the development of blue energy.  His second slide was 2016 and said Stop! It was of course referring to Brexit and the downgrading of Scottish marine energy development on the priority list of Westminister.  The third slide was for 2017 and said HELP!  Here was a senior Scottish energy player telling the Irish sector that the opportunity now exists to build on Scottish experience and skill sets and become first in the world ourselves.

The scenario is not unimaginable nor out of reach.  With very little effort, the RoI could very swiftly take prime position in this growing energy source development.  Two immediate things come to mind:

1. The European Marine Energy Centre is based on the Orkney Islands.  It is a recipient of EU funding.  Brexit will mean that funding will come to a halt unless it relocates to an EU country.  Let's get it to Ireland

2. Harland & Wolff reinvented itself and now builds marine energy installations.  Belfast too will be constricted by Brexit and this work too could be carried out in the RoI.

The nearest RoI deep sea port to Scotland is Killybegs.  Donegal has an airport that currently offers return flights to Glasgow three times a week.  A campus of LYIT is based in Killybegs and this could be the base of the EMEC as there is already a renewable energy link in that it is the site of the wind energy turbine training tower where those who work in the maintenance element of wind farms go to learn their trade.  The re-siting of some of the Scottish marine industry elements to the North West of Ireland would also serve to assist in some of the elements of the new National Planning Framework Ireland 2040.  There is a focus in that plan on the north west that simply has not had the opportunities that the rest of the RoI have had.

Brexit Blues could be the answer to the NPF NW challenges.