The Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce Interim Report Launched
13 December 2022 The Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce Interim Report sets out its vision for the Shannon Estuary area, and interim recommendations to achieve it.
The report was launched by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on 12th of December.
The Taskforce’s Interim Report sets out how the Region can play a leading role in the switch to renewable energy and more climate friendly ways of living and doing business. The Estuary would also become a hub for Sustainable Transport Technologies and a western “Digital Gateway” to Europe.
It proposes significant investment in the ports at Foynes and Moneypoint, a new auction for floating wind generation in 2024, and identifying industrial sites for clean energy industries like hydrogen.
The Report sets out the Taskforce’s ambition to begin supplying Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy through the Estuary by 2030, with the intention to significantly accelerating it up to 2050.
There is also big potential in onshore energy generation by installing solar panels, and new anaerobic digestion facilities.
The Estuary Region has the potential to double tourist numbers by becoming a destination for outdoor sports and adventure, business and leisure events, and cruise ship arrivals.
Consistent with the Programme for Government, the Taskforce was established on 21 April 2022 to develop an economic action plan for the area. The publication of this report marks an important milestone in that work, providing as it does an update on its work to date, and its next steps.
The full report can be found here