Rosslare Europort - Offshore Renewable Energy Hub

Project Overview

Rosslare Europort, supported by Port Authority, Iarnród Éireann, is embarking on a journey to become the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) hub for Ireland’s South-East. The hub will service the emerging offshore wind industry and help support the government’s offshore wind target of seven gigawatts of power from ORE by 2030.

While Rosslare Europort is ideally located to service the Offshore Wind (OSW) sector, particularly for developments in the Irish and Celtic seas, significant infrastructure works are required to ensure suitable port facilities are in place to support the construction and ongoing operations of Rosslare Europort as an ORE hub.

The Rosslare ORE Hub Project can deliver the accessibility and key infrastructure required to serve the various stages of the OFW projects including marshalling, assembly, staging and load out of key components as well as the ongoing operation, maintenance, and crew transfers that will take place when the industry is up and running.

The Proposed Development Site

The proposed site is situated at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford and is adjacent to the existing Rosslare Europort which is operated by Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail.

Having investigated multiple locations for the ORE hub at Rosslare Europort, through a multi criteria analysis (MCA) process the current location has emerged as the preferred option. See below images showing the considered options for the Rosslare ORE Hub:

Rosslare ORE Hub Considered Options

Key project elements

The key infrastructural elements of the project include:

Land reclamation of circa 21 hectares from the sea
A heavy lift berth of up to 330 metres long will be created to accommodate ORE installation vessels.
A second 240-metre-long berth capable of handling Roll on Roll (RoRo) activities and heavy Load On Load Off (LoLo) of foundation and wind turbine components
Dredging of the approach channel to an effective depth of -10m Chart Datum
Construction of a main berth pocket for marshalling and installation vessels with dredged depth of -12m Chart Datum
A small boat harbour with enhanced access from deeper water
Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facilities to include warehousing, offices and parking
Potential future accommodation of a rail spur connection to site
New access road to small boat harbour and site access to the ORE facility

Please see the PDF version of above image 'Rosslare ORE Hub GA Plan'

Why Rosslare Europort?

Ireland represents one of the best ORE resources in Europe, with a sea area of 490,000sq kms. More than 25 ORE development projects are planned nationally, and Rosslare Europort is ideally positioned within 60 nautical miles of several of the planned developments in the Irish and Celtic seas

Please see the PDF version of above image 'ORE Projects Nearby'

Benefits of the Rosslare ORE Hub Project

The proposed plans for the ORE Hub at Rosslare Europort will:

Support the growing offshore renewable industry
Help Ireland deliver its Climate Action Plan objectives
Ensure significant economic growth for the South-East region

Rosslare ORE Hub Public Consultation

Public participation is a key element to the delivery of major infrastructure projects, such as the Rosslare ORE Hub. Your opinions and feedback are important to us. There are three main opportunities for members of the public, residents, and businesses adjacent to the development, as well as other stakeholders, to provide feedback to the scheme development and Planning Process.

Public consultation on Emerging Preferred Option – (Completed December 2023)
Public consultation on Preferred Option – (22nd May 2024 to 23rd June 2024)
Statutory public consultation as part of the An Bord Pleanála planning process (Autumn 2024*)

*Note: Date to be confirmed

Subject to planning being granted and funding being allocated construction is due to commence in 2025/26 and the project is expected to be completed in late 2027.

Next Steps

The next round of non-statutory public consultation will run from 22nd May to 23rd June. A public engagement event will be held at Rosslare Europort between 3pm and 8pm on the 30th May 2024. The project design team will be available to present their proposals for the design of the ORE Hub and answer any queries or concerns that members of the public, residents or other stakeholders may have.

Contact the Project Team

To submit feedback or request further information you can contact the Rosslare ORE Hub project team via the following means:

Email: Rorehub@irishrail.ie
Phone line: (053) 915 7970
Postal Address: Rosslare Europort, Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford, Y35 PH4X

Rosslare ORE Hub FAQ's

What measures will be taken to minimise disruption to fishing activities during the construction phase?
What will the ORE hub at Rosslare Europort look like?
What is the estimated timeline for different phases of construction?
How will the project impact local traffic?

It is anticipated that the Rosslare Europort Access Road (REAR) project will be completed before the construction stage for the ORE Hub project starts and that this will form the main access / egress road for construction related traffic. In terms of the operational stage of the ORE Hub project, the new infrastructure will be primarily used for the construction of offshore wind farms on the Irish coast, where transportation of associated components is both in by sea and out by sea. There will be some movement of operational site staff to undertake these operations, but traffic numbers are expected to be relatively low and not expected to significantly impact local traffic. Future port trades such as Roll-On Roll-Off may also be accommodated on the site.
What are the proposed working hours for construction activities?
How will the project contribute to local economic growth and development?
What opportunities will be available for local residents to find employment during the construction phase?
Will the project include any upgrades to local infrastructure, such as roads or utilities?

In addition to the construction of the new Rosslare Europort Access Road (REAR), new local road infrastructure within the port is proposed to be constructed to facilitate access to a New Small Boat Harbour. The New Small Boat Harbour shall effectively replace and improve the existing facilities in the small boat harbour at Ballygeary. New utilities to service the site are expected to include a dedicated electrical substation and new services linking the site to existing networks such as electricity, broadband, water, sewage and lighting.
How will the construction impact the local marine ecosystem?

Assessment of the impacts to the local marine ecosystem from the construction and operation of the project is being informed by best available scientific evidence (including desk-based research, project specific ecological surveys, modelling and consultation) and will be considered in the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA). The results of these assessments will be published in due course in an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). The EIAR will be made available for review by the public through the planning application process via An Bord Pleanála.
How will potential environmental impacts be minimised?

The first step is to identify all potential environmental impacts through the EIA and AA processes, which are currently underway. Where environmental impacts are identified, the cause of the impact will be examined to, where possible, incorporate changes into the design of the project including construction methodology to avoid the impacts in the first instance. Where avoidance is not possible, a mitigation measure will be proposed to limit the severity and the duration of the impact. Any mitigation measure proposed will be specific to the impact identified and the environmental receptor potentially impacted.
How will the project team keep us informed about construction progress and any potential disruptions?