About The Project

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What is the proposal?

Sceirde Rocks, known as Carraigeacha Sceirde in Irish, is the proposed location for one of the first large-scale offshore windfarms to be built in Ireland.

The goal is to provide a clean, secure energy source that will help Ireland generate 80% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

The proposed windfarm will have a capacity of 450 MW. It will consist of 30 turbines, with a maximum tip-height of 325m.

Once constructed, the windfarm will provide enough clean energy to power over 350,000 homes, avoiding CO2 emissions equivalent to removing 180,000 petrol cars from Ireland’s roads.

It will also stimulate investment in the local economy, including a proposed Community Benefit Fund worth around €3.5m per year, every year, over a 20-year period (a total investment of approximately €70m).
Sceirde Rocks windfarm will play a key role in:

helping Ireland reduce its consumption of environmentally-damaging fossil fuels
improving Ireland’s energy independence and security
supplying Irish communities with clean, renewable energy that reduces their carbon footprint

You can read much more about the project in our FAQs

When will the windfarm be built?

If the project receives consent, we expect to build the windfarm from 2026-2029 and to be fully operational by 2030.

October 2002

Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta first established

September 2021

Green Investment Group acquires Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta

April 2022

GIG launches Corio Generation as offshore wind developer

December 2022

Maritime Area Consent awarded to Sceirde Rocks

2026

Project construction due to commence

2030

Windfarm due to be operational

Where will the windfarm be located?

The windfarm will be located off the coast of Connemara, c. 5km – c. 12km from the mainland and approximately 8km from the nearest settlement at Carna.

Who is responsible for the project?

The project is being developed by leading offshore wind business Corio Generation through the Irish and Gaeltacht based company Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST). FST is a joint venture owned by Corio Generation, a portfolio company of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, and global infrastructure investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

FST’s project team is centred in Ireland, with offices in Clonakilty, Co Cork and Carna, Co Galway.

Corio Generation

Headquartered in London, UK, Corio Generation (Corio) is a specialist offshore wind developer with a global portfolio of projects in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Corio is building next-generation offshore windfarms that will form the backbone of the new global energy system.

Launched in April 2022 as a Macquarie Green Investment Group portfolio company operating on a standalone basis, Corio has a unique blend of sector-leading expertise and access to long-term capital.

Macquarie has been operating in Ireland for almost two decades and is a substantial investor in critical infrastructure. The company has played an important role resourcing energy supplies while driving the transition to net zero. It has helped to finance the development of Technical University Dublin, the Dublin Waste to Energy project, 10 national schools and other social projects, and is a major investor in Irish SMEs.

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Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is a global infrastructure investor with C$39.2 billion in infrastructure assets across five continents, including a sizeable portfolio of renewable assets.

OTPP invests in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets including public and private equities, fixed income, credit, commodities, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and venture growth to deliver retirement income for 340,000 working members and pensioners.

As a long-term, responsible investor, OTPP is an ideal partner to invest alongside Corio Generation in the Sceirde Rocks Offshore Wind Farm through their joint venture, Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta.

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