Protecting Our Coast, Stop the Destruction of the Arklow Sandbank

The Arklow Sandbank faces extensive ecological collapse that will aggravate the detrimental erosion of Wicklow and Wexford beaches.  In 2004, this sandbank was earmarked by a private developer to test out a 7-turbine offshore wind farm demonstrator project called, “Arklow Bank Wind Park 1” (ABWP1). The developer was  awarded a lucrative lease under the outdated Foreshore Act 1993, without a public consultation and without an independent environmental impact assessment. 

Over time, sand has built-up around the base of these turbines, contributing to the severe accreted erosion visible today at Brittas Bay South, Kilgorman, Kilmichael, Kilpatrick & Clogga. This project has demonstrated that offshore renewable infrastructure has negatively impacted the stability of the Arklow Sandbank and its highly sensitive relationship with the shoreline. Fast forward twenty years, SSE Renewables (Sure Partners Limited) have applied to An Coimisiún Pleanála to build a supersized wind park, “Arklow Bank Wind Park 2” (ABWP2), with up to 56 turbines, on this unique headland-associated sandbank.  SSE’s proposal (ABWP2) would require levelling up to 1,000 acres of seabed to lay cables and almost 1 million cubic tonnes of concrete armour along with excavation for structures up to 1,000 ft tall including two offshore platforms for electricity sub-stations. They have applied to do this in the knowledge that it is likely to cause serious, widespread and lasting damage to the Arklow Sandbank and all the beaches and biodiversity it supports. The proposed wind farm does not have a grid connection so it’s benefit to the Irish people is questionable. 

Sustainable development is the practice of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There is a high density of red-listed seabirds, fish and shell species in and around the Arklow Sandbank, which is representative of its current ecosystem value. There is untapped potential to restore the native oysters on the Arklow Sandbank with kelp that would contribute to storing and sequestering huge quantities of carbon. This is the Irish people’s right and inheritance. Destruction of this rich natural habitat does not constitute ‘sustainable development. 

The World Wildlife Fund says, “Limiting the environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy infrastructure starts with getting their location right. Sound site-selection must be facilitated through ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning.”   We believe that this application by SSE Renewables Sure Partners Ltd is fundamentally flawed and short-sighted as it compromises the sustainable ecological value of the Arklow Sandbank for future generations.