Another 2k Energy Infrastructure jobs

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/2000-jobs-to-be-created-by-element-power-in-8bn-wind-energy-project-3171549.html

Are manufacturing any of these turbines here yet ? If not why not ? There was rumors of using the old asahi plant in Mayo with sea access for massive windfarms off the coast, but that appears to have disappeared.

cargo

No as we are a small market for any of these companies. The Chinese were over looking at Euro bases but I think one of them at least (XEMC) went to Belfast.

phanley

anyone know when recruiting for these jobs will start?

ardmacha

If these guys can put their cables underground, does that not increase pressure on Eirgrid to do likewise?

pljudge321

ardmacha wrote: »

If these guys can put their cables underground, does that not increase pressure on Eirgrid to do likewise?

They are planning on DC cables which are easily placed underground unlike AC cables.

Sponge Bob

These guys have nothing in planning never mind through planning.

cargo

Sponge Bob wrote: »

These guys have nothing in planning never mind through planning.

Not in the regions mentioned in the article anyway. They do have some projects in other parts of the country although this article seems to be packaging this whole thing as an all-in sort of thing. They dont mention selling the output from any of the other sites over this link.

Heroditas

That's because those other projects are being linked into our own grid.
If this project was to go ahead, it would represent a massive jump in terms of scale compared to many of their previous projects both nationally and internationally.
There's an awful lot of details that need to be ironed out.
Two ones that stand out for me are:
1. If the Irish grid is used to carry the power to the interconnector they plan to build, will the wind farms benefit from the subsidies currently given to renewable power. If so, why should they benefit when the power is not for use here
2. If they plan on building their own grid and interconnector, where is the benefit for this country? Why should we pickle the landscape with turbines when our own population doesn't benefit from it?

Bar construction, energy generation is not exactly a great creator of jobs. Maintenance, operation and upkeep do not require a whole lot of bodies.

Hibbeler

Will these turbines if built be connected to the Irish grid and the new eirgid connector to wales? Or am I correct in gathering from the article that they plan to build their own dedicated connection to Britain?

Sponge Bob

3000mw will require a very large (and new) interconnector. If a single cable it would be 4x the size of Norned which is the largest HVDCsubsea interconnector in Europe as far as I can remember.

It may be split into 3 or 4 separate interconnectors as there are not many UK grid sites capable of accepting 3000mw either and the largest generation site they ever had was 4000mw ( DRAX in Yorkshire)

OssianSmyth

I spoke to the promoter a few days ago. They say they have agreement with the UK National Grid for a 1GW connector landing at Pentir, North Wales and a 2GW connector landing at Pembroke. They have 40 sites for wind farms chosen across the midlands and they plan to supply a fibre broadband network in tandem which they see as a local benefit. They are aiming for a planning app in late 2013. They are trying to formulate the application as a SID.

There are a lot of regulatory issues to be worked out in both countries. The expectation is that the UK will pay the subsidies while Ireland would collect rents, rates and corporation tax. O&M for wind farms typically provides 1 job per 2 MW. There would be many more jobs than that during construction. It is not clear whether the interconnector would be entirely private with both the grid operator and the promoter saying that the project would 'enhance interconnection' between the two national grids.

There are several companies pursuing similar projects.

Heroditas

A 1MW interconnector? Don't you mean 1GW?
Much of the O&M of wind farms is provided by the manufacturers so a lot of the jobs will be abroad with little or no jobs created here.
Granted, there will be jobs created during construction but not half as many as some are making out.

OssianSmyth

Here is some data relating to jobs in European Wind http://www.ewea.org/index.php?id=1638

It's from the wind energy trade group so you can take it with a pinch of salt.

Heroditas

OssianSmyth wrote: »

Here is some data relating to jobs in European Wind http://www.ewea.org/index.php?id=1638

It's from the wind energy trade group so you can take it with a pinch of salt.

Thanks. I certainly will take it with a pinch of salt.
From looking at some of the big players in Ireland, I'd doubt some of those figures, particularly from my own personal experience and employment.

These schemes puzzle me and, bar some tax, I struggle to see the benefit for Ireland in littering our landscape for Britain's benefit.
If they're that desperate for wind power, let them build it themselves on their own land.
This land area should be earmarked for our own renewable targets.
Investment in energy infrastructure provides direct short term enjoyment only.
Energy generation is extremely light on personnel nowadays, you can run a CCGT plant with as few as 5 or 6 people and 6 of those plants can power the whole country.

Investment in energy improves the state's infrastructure and can pave the way for industrial growth.
Why we should give planning permission so another state can benefit from this investment puzzles me.

EDIT: apologies if I sound like a broken record but I feel it's a pertinent question.

Sponge Bob

OssianSmyth wrote: »

I spoke to the promoter a few days ago. They say they have agreement with the UK National Grid for a 1GW connector landing at Pentir, North Wales and a 2GW connector landing at Pembroke.

Apart from the fact that a 2GW landing in Pembroke is a tad away from the core Grid in the UK as I understand it ...the North Wales grid is well capable of taking 1GW.

Sponge Bob

One other piece of good news is that a lot of work will be done early on the N24 and N80 to enable large load movements from ports.

OssianSmyth

Heroditas wrote: »

These schemes puzzle me and, bar some tax, I struggle to see the benefit for Ireland in littering our landscape for Britain's benefit.

It all depends on the terms of the deal negotiated between the UK and Irish governments. Beyond lease payments to farmers and tax revenue, there should be some kind of community benefit as provided for in SID legislation. Denmark insists that wind farms are mostly or entirely owned by locals with various credit schemes to support local small shareholding.

SeanW

Has a map of the proposed turbine sites been published?

OssianSmyth

SeanW wrote: »

Has a map of the proposed turbine sites been published?

No, Element Power just say they have 40 wind farms planned across Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Meath and Kildare. There are several separate but similar projects competing with Element's proposal.

Heroditas

Ossian, did you happen to read the article about the Element Power scheme in the Sunday Business Post by any chance?

Gee Bag

I can't understand how/why this project should be allowed use the Strategic Infrastructure Development Act to bypass county council planning law if the primary benefactor is Britain.

And I'm very dubious about the number of jobs they claim they are going to create. 2000 people to maintain 700 turbines seems excessive.

Heroditas

Gee Bag wrote: »

And I'm very dubious about the number of jobs they claim they are going to create. 2000 people to maintain 700 turbines seems excessive.

Knock a zero off that figure and we'd be heading in the right direction.

OssianSmyth

Heroditas wrote: »

Ossian, did you happen to read the article about the Element Power scheme in the Sunday Business Post by any chance?

No, but there was a piece about Element in the Sunday Times. Do you have a link to the post article?

Heroditas

OssianSmyth wrote: »

No, but there was a piece about Element in the Sunday Times. Do you have a link to the post article?

Actually, that might be the article I'm thinking about!

OssianSmyth

Report of an IFA meeting in Laois with landowners on this topic.
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/tabId/153/itemId/15725/Turbine-project-left-blowing-in-the-wind.aspx

Sponge Bob

Seems to be two projects in the midlands, each vying for the same hilltops according to that Laois link.

Mainstream’s 5000mw project would affect 900 landowners and create 500 long-term jobs.

Element Power’s 3000mw scheme would include 40 wind farms and create 2,000 jobs.

Mr Ryan said that the proposals had been spurred by UK requirements that 15% of its energy would come from renewable sources by 2020. Currently, they will not meet the targets.

bawn79

Just checking there website regarding possible jobs.

Says no vacancies and there doesn't even seem to be the facility to send a speculative CV.

So looks as if these jobs are a long way down the stream yet.

joela

http://www.greenwire.ie/vacancies

Lash in a CV I'd say, guess jobs at this time will relate to planning mainly?