Category: Energy | Geoscience Ireland

Review of Irish Offshore Renewable Energy Sector’s Data & Information Requirements | GDG

April 22, 2021/in Energy /by GSI Editor 1

Project Title:

Review of Irish Offshore Renewable Energy Sector’s Data & Information Requirements |GDG

Location:

Ireland

Client:

Geological Survey Ireland

Date:

2021

Business Sectors:

Energy

Project Objectives/ Outcomes:

Specialist offshore engineering consultancy, Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG), has published a review of data requirements, in the context of achieving 30 GW installed capacity of offshore renewable energy.

The report finds that achieving this ambitious target, as set out in the Program for Government 2020, will require key enabling process changes and bespoke data collection projects.

Our Role:

The report, which was commissioned by Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) – a Division of The Department of the Environment Climate and Communications (DECC) – follows a two-year study funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) into researching the implications for offshore wind energy developments along the east coast of Ireland. GDG’s input was to analyse the seabed conditions by interrogating different geophysical datasets as well as by collecting new geotechnical information.

The report, which is available to download from INFOMAR website, reviews INFOMAR’s current outputs and capabilities highlighting areas where additional value may be added to programme activities to support the development of ORE in Ireland, in particular offshore wind but also other relevant technologies and associated activities.

The document is aimed at INFOMAR funding and delivery bodies (Geological Survey Ireland [GSI], the Marine Institute, the Department of the Environment Climate and Communications [DECC]) and the ORE industry (developers, consultants, etc.), with a view to improving the understanding of how current INFOMAR programme deliverables can best be used by the Irish ORE sector, how they could be used in the near-term and long-term.

From a history of the INFOMAR programme, survey methods used, and near- and long-term ORE Sector data needs assessment (to 2030), through to G&G Data Gap analysis, industry responsibilities, case study and industry engagement recommendations, the 80-page fully reference document will be an extremely useful resource for any stakeholder involved in the development of renewable wind energy.

The document is available for download here: https://tinyurl.com/8szrvtdz

Geoscience Ireland Contact:

Jack Walsh (jwalsh@gdgeo.com)

Ballinrea Solar Farm | Rubicon Heritage

February 24, 2021/in Energy /by GSI Editor 1

Project Title:

Ballinrea Solar Farm | Rubicon Heritage

Date:

2017-2018

Location:

Co. Cork, Ireland

Client:

Terra Solar II

Business Sectors:

Energy

Services (Technical Disciplines):

Rubicon Heritage provided consultancy services to the design team for the proposed 34 Ha solar farm project in relation to archaeology, architectural heritage and cultural heritage. This included the preparation of a detailed archaeological impact assessment, commissioning of geophysical survey and liaison with the County archaeologist.

Project Objectives/ Outcomes:

The development site incorporates three Recorded Monuments (RMPs) which are protected sites. These needed to be precisely located and any related risks in relation to archaeology, architectural heritage and cultural heritage identified and characterised.

A comprehensive mitigation strategy was developed for the site. This included the identification and buffering out of the significant protected sites (to avoid any direct impacts) as well as the identification of actions to be carried out at construction phase to minimise the development impact. These included archaeological monitoring of groundworks and the designation of ‘no dig’ zones within the array layout where above-ground supports only would be used.

This contributed to the successful grant of planning permission for the project.

Our Role:

Provision of advice to the design team in relation to archaeology, architectural heritage and cultural heritage issues and constraints
Baseline research
Field survey
Commission of specialist surveys (such as geophysical survey)
Liaison with key stakeholders such as the County archaeologist
Preparation of impact assessment and development of mitigation measures for archaeology, architectural heritage and cultural heritage

Geoscience Ireland Contact:

Colm Moloney (colm.moloney@rubiconheritage.com)

Kakono 87 MW Hydropower Project | SLR Consulting

November 16, 2020/in Capacity Building, Energy, Environment /by GSI Editor 1

Project Title:

Kakono 87 MW Hydropower Project | SLR Consulting

Date:

2019 – ongoing

Location:

Tanzania

Client:

Agence Française de Développement (AFD)

Business Sectors:

Power, Renewables, Environmental & Social Governance

Services (Technical Disciplines):

Key issues that SLR is addressing:

Aquatic ecology;
Terrestrial fauna & flora;
Critical habitat;
Physical & economic displacement;
Downstream impacts;
Community health and safety;
Climate.

Project Objectives/ Outcomes:

Key deliverables by SLR:

ESIA;
ESMP;
Stakeholder Engagement Plan;
Resettlement Action Plan;
Eflow Assessment.

Our Role:

SLR are preparing complementary studies to the existing ESIA prepared by TANESCO, to ensure compliance with World Bank and AfDB protocols and policies.

Geoscience Ireland Contact:

Dr. Deirdre Lewis (dlewis@slrconsulting.com)

Jubilee Pool Geothermal Well Drilling | Meehan Drilling, United Kingdom

August 25, 2020/in Energy /by Stephen Walsh

Project Title: Jubilee Pool Geothermal Well Drilling

Date: 2019

Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom

Client: Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL)

Business Sectors: Geothermal, Drilling

Services (Technical Disciplines): Dual rotary surface casing installation and down the hole hammer drilling with high pressure compressed air.

Project Objectives/ Outcomes: Meehan Drilling Ltd. was awarded the project to drill and complete a geothermal well. The Jubilee pool is one the of last surviving art deco lidos in the UK and is located on Penzance seafront, Cornwall.

Our Role: Meehan drilled a 410m-deep geothermal well which will provide enough renewable energy to heat a section of the pool to 35°c. This will mean, for the first time, that the pool will have heated water, transforming it into an all-year-round attraction, which will bring enormous benefits both for the pool and the economy of Penzance, Cornwall.

Geoscience Ireland Contact: jeff@meehandrilling.com

Augmented Reality Smart Glasses Use | CDM Smith

June 16, 2020/in Capacity Building, Civil Infrastructure, Energy, Environment, Mineral Resources, Water Resources /by GSI Editor 1

Project Title

Augmented Reality Smart Glasses Use | CDM Smith

Date

2019 – ongoing

Location

National and International

Client

Multiple

Business Sectors

Civil Infrastructure/ Water Resources/ Environment/ Mineral Resources/Energy/ Capacity Building

Services (Technical Disciplines)

CDM Smith engaged UtilityAR to provide wearable technology and a software platform in the form of smart glasses. The smart glasses allow users to access information that they need to complete their work and to link them with specialist colleagues and advice when needed.

Augmented Reality smart glasses can project information onto the inside of the lens of the glass to allow the wearer to see it while still seeing the real world. The integrated forward facing camera allows for video and image capture.

Project Objectives/Outcomes

CDM Smith explores ways to engage field staff with senior specialists. With a global workforce it can be challenging from a time and expense perspective for specialists in different locations across the globe to travel to site and advise less experienced staff. The use of the forward facing camera on the smart glasses allows a staff member on site to communicate with a specialist anywhere in the world. The specialist sees what they see and can provide advice/instruction and discussion on best practice/next course of action. The specialist can even provide on-screen mark ups to assist with clear communication.

Our Role

CDM Smith now routinely use the smart glasses on the majority of its sites to provide a more efficient service to its clients, to contribute to its quality management systems and to assist with staff engagement across the company.

The glasses are particularly useful in times or areas of restricted travel. In addition their use can be quantitatively assessed in terms of their carbon offset where travel to site from different parts of the world is no longer necessary (in some use cases).

Geoscience Ireland Contact

Jon Hunt (jon.hunt@cdmsmith.com)

Kipeto Windfarm– 60 Turbines – 100MW | Intersocial Consulting

May 26, 2020/in Energy /by GSI Editor 1

Project Title

Kipeto Windfarm – 60 Turbines – 100MW | Intersocial Consulting

Date

2015-2019

Location

Kajiado plains of the Rift Valley region of Kenya

Client

Kipeto Energy PLC and the IFC

Business Sectors

Energy

Services (Technical Disciplines)

Negotiating community agreements on basis of consent.

Establishing compensation rates for land and designing resettlement houses and social programmes.

Identifying and addressing social impacts.

Building community capacity through engaging third-party experts to advise the community on agreements.

Project Objectives/Outcomes

The objective of the work was to support Kipeto to negotiate consent from the Maasai community for the project. Without the consent of the affected people the project would not have proceeded as this is the international requirement for indigenous people.

Our Role

We were the lead social and resettlement consultancy training Kipeto’s community relations team for three years and developing a Resettlement Action Plan and community agreements. The landowners negotiated a 1.4% share and the community a 5% share of the gross annual income from the project.