Connemara students buoyed by Sceirde Rocks Windfarm skills event. 5th December 2023

Local students from the Connemara area were welcomed to a special skills and education workshop hosted by Sceirde Rocks Windfarm last week, hearing first-hand about the exciting employment opportunities emerging in renewable energy.

Nearly a hundred students from four secondary schools attended the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Jobs, Training and Skills Information Event in the Emigrants Centre, in Carna, Co Galway on 5 December.

Representatives from Sceirde Rocks Windfarm and other organisations including Wind Energy Ireland, the University of Galway and The National Maritime College of Ireland, fielded questions on studying, training and developing a career in offshore wind and the wider renewable energy sector.

Members of the public, including local councillors, fisherman and tradespeople, in addition attended an evening information session to hear about the development of the project and opportunities for young people to study and train for employment in roles that support the growth of renewable energy and the transition to a low carbon economy.

Ella Ní Mhadaoin, a 5th Year student from the local Scoil Phobal Mhic Dara Carna secondary school said: “I really enjoyed the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm event, found it very informative and interesting and was amazed at the wide range of careers in the wind energy sector. I was delighted to learn all about the opportunities and different type roles for young females like myself, and also the chance to work on such an exciting local project.”

Tim Coffey, Project Director for the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant to welcome so many young people from our community today, and to share our experiences of developing interesting and rewarding careers in renewable energy.”

“These young people really are our future, and to see them so engaged in what we are doing at Sceirde Rocks, and in the future of our energy landscape, has been genuinely inspiring. By joining forces with our colleagues in education we’ve hopefully planted some seeds in a few minds – I’m sure we’ll see some of these faces again in the future, working in vital renewable energy jobs in Galway and beyond.”

Last week’s event was the latest in a long series of local activities that began with the Community Benefit Fund launch in June this year – the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm is expected to contribute €70m to local community initiatives, over a 20-year period, through the Community Benefit Fund in conjunction with an independent fund administrator.

About Sceirde Rocks Windfarm

The proposed 450 MW Sceirde Rocks offshore windfarm will be located between 5 and 12 km off the coast of Carna, Connemara, Co Galway and will generate enough renewable electricity to meet the needs of 350,000 homes. Construction is expected to take place between 2026 and 2029, delivering renewable energy by 2030.

The Sceirde Rocks Windfarm is being developed by Corio Generation, a portfolio company of Macquarie Asset Management, through the Irish and Gaeltacht based-company Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta, which is a joint venture by Corio and global infrastructure investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

For more information visit: Sceirde Rocks Windfarm | Powering Irish Communities