SSE targets expansion of Ireland's only operational offshore wind farm

Energy company SSE Airtricity hopes to complete the expansion of Ireland's only operational offshore wind farm, and have it working at full capacity as a meaningful energy provider, by the early 2020s. The small seven-turbine Arklow Bank wind farm, off the Wicklow coast, has been Ireland's only functioning offshore wind farm since its inception as a "demonstrator" project in 2004. It was reported, last year, that SSE was looking to invest €2bn to transform Arklow Bank into a major project. Now the company has said that, subject to securing a Government-supported contract and grid connection, it can bring Arklow Bank from phase-2 construction through to first energy "within the early 2020s".