As the world responds to and seeks to address climate change, Limerick is a national and international flag bearer in facing this critical global challenge.
It is set to become a renewable energy generation powerhouse on an international scale as the Shannon Estuary is transformed into a supply chain and logistics hub for floating wind energy production off the country’s west coast, where upwards of 70GW of energy potential exists.
This opportunity will accelerate the twin ‘digital green’ transition nationally, transforming Ireland into one of the world’s leading renewable energy hubs through unprecedented wind energy generation. This will deliver multiples of the stated renewable energy requirements to meet our climate change targets, with additional capacity for either export or green fuels generation, such as hydrogen.
The region’s impressive sustainability agenda is also reflected in Limerick’s selection as one of two EU ‘lighthouse’ cities – along with Trondheim in Norway – for a pilot project that has the potential to revolutionise how we produce and use energy in European cities and towns.
The EU +CityxChange Programme (Positive City Exchange) involves a range of exciting sustainability initiatives and innovations and is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation ‘Smart Cities and Communities’ programme. These undertakings will see the transformation of the ‘Georgian Neighbourhood’ in the heart of the city into a positive energy zone that generates more electricity than it uses.
