Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the project partners?
Valentia Island Energy Ltd is a partnership between Valentia Island Energy Co-operative Ltd and Energy Co-operatives Ireland Ltd.
What Stage is the project at?
VI Energy have applied for an outline offshore licence. We have conducted studies on the suitability of the site off Valentia and are now carrying out consultation and in-depth research into all aspects of the project. Survey work is expected to commence post 2024. At that point should all go well, we will apply for planning. It is not expected that we will begin construction work on the site until after 2029.
Can I comment on the project?
We are interested in hearing your comments and observations. We will be organising public consultation events which details of which will be given on this page, our social media channels and local media. In the meantime, please use the email form on our contact page to get in touch with us.
Where will the project be located?
The proposed turbine array site is located twenty kilometres west of Valentia Island. This is much further offshore than similar arrays on the East Coast. this will significantly reduce visual and ecological impacts. The nearest turbines of the array will be just visible in the distance from the coast but they will not interfere with any of South Kerry ‘s internationally famous scenic views – such as of the Skelligs. For a map of the location, go to our Project Site page here.
How tall will the turbines be?
While turbine technology develops at a rapid pace, and the VI Energy Array is not expected to commence construction until 2025 at the earliest, we expect that the turbines will range in height from 100m to 150m.
How much energy will the project generate?
It is hoped that the array will generate very large amounts of energy. Existing floating platform turbines have a power rating of up to 2MW. The VI Energy project aims to deploy 10MW turbines in a 10 X 10 array with a total output of 1000 MW. It is expected that this will produce approximately 4,380,000 MWh of electrical energy per year. This amount of power would meet the electricity demands of over 790,000 homes1, or energy to power 1,460,000 EVs for a year2.
1: Average home in Ireland consumes 5,500kWh electricity per year.
2: Average car drives 18,000km/yr, typical EV consumes 3,000kWh per year