Wind energy plans to create 10,000 Irish jobs

More than 10,000 new engineering and construction jobs will have to be created if Ireland is to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets, says a new report

The report produced by Deloitte for the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) has suggested that more investment is needed in creating and filling necessary engineering positions.
Ireland has to work towards obtaining 40 per cent of its electricity from green sources such as wind and wave power within the next decade


According to the report, around 10,760 new jobs are likely to come out the planned development of wind farms capable of producing a total of 7,900MW of power each year.

Of these, around 7,250 will be in the construction sector, with the remaining jobs in civil engineering, as well as electrical engineering jobs.

Accepting the findings, Ireland's energy minister Eamon Ryan, said: "This report is evidence of the huge work that is being carried out to progress the development of Ireland's wind energy sector."

"The IWEA's assessment that wind energy can become a significant employer here in Ireland is absolutely correct. We have the will and the resources to achieve this."

These comments are likely to be welcomed after the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) warned that construction and engineering jobs in Ireland could be at risk as road-building projects come to an end over the next couple of years.