PEEKING AT THE NEIGHBORS: CORK

On May 14 and 15, AYOP members peeked at their Irish neighbors in Cork. With five visits to companies and educational institutions, a visit to the mayor of Cork, and some enjoyable social time together, it was a very successful trip.

This trip gave us more insight into Irish offshore energy developments, new international contacts were made, and members got to know each other even better.

The extreme weather conditions in Ireland pose significant challenges for the development of offshore wind. For the future, the focus is primarily on floating wind. We had the opportunity to see several innovative examples at the LIR National Ocean Test Facility.

At the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), we learned more about maritime education in Ireland. It is notable that practical education is also included in university programs in Ireland. Simply Blue Group informed us about the opportunities and challenges for offshore wind in Ireland and the Irish tender process for new wind farms. Green Rebel specializes in the collection and processing of geographic and ecological data. And at Irish Mainport Holdings, we gained insight into the maritime services they provide to offshore wind farms, among others.