Links

Relevant Organisations

Island of Ireland

Ireland refers to the Republic of Ireland while Northern Ireland is a separate jurisdiction:

An Bord Pleanala is responsible for the determination of planning appeals and for the determination of applications for strategic infrastructure development (a category which may be expanded to include marine renewables once the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill ('MAFA' Bill) becomes law www.pleanala.ie

Commission for Regulation of Utilities is the body responsible, among other matters, for the regulation of Ireland's energy sector. www.cru.ie

Commissioners of Irish Lights are responsible for the provision of navigation aids around the island of Ireland. www.irishlights.ie

Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is responsible for most economic development policy matters in Ireland and is the parent Department to Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland - see below. www.dbei.gov.ie

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is responsible through its Electriciy Policy Division for policy to increase penetration of renewable energy technologies in electricity production in Ireland. www.dccae.gov.ie

Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is responsible for Foreshore Licensing and Marine Spatial Planning matters in Ireland. www.housing.gov.ie

Department for the Economy (NI) is responsible for energy matters, including sustainable energy, in Northern Ireland and is the parent Department for Invest Nothern Ireland - see below. www.economy-ni.gov.uk

Eirgrid plc is the electricity Transmission System Operator in Ireland and the Market Operator in the wholesale electricity system. www.eirgrid.com

Enterprise Ireland is the Government agency responsible for the development of locally owned industry in Ireland. www.enterprise-ireland.com

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects the environment through its licensing, enforcement and monitoring activities in Ireland. www.epa.ie

ESB (Electricty Supply Board) builds, owns, operates and maintains the electricity networks in Ireland regardless of supplier. www.esb.ie

IDA Ireland is the Government agency responsible for promoting inward investment to Ireland. www.idaireland.com

Invest Northern Ireland is the Government agency responsible for business development in Northern Ireland, including the promotion of inward investment.www.investni.com

Electro-Technical Council of Ireland supports TC18 which mirrors the work of IEC TC114 whose scope is to prepare international standards for marine energy conversion systems. www.etci.ie

Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) is is the Irish Government agency which provides support to national and international maritime businesses in Ireland. www.imdo.ie

Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) is the national association for wind energy in Ireland. www.iwea.com

MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the marine and renewable energy sectors. It is supported by Science Foundation Ireland (see below). MaREI is coordinated by the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at University College Cork and has over 200 researchers working across 6 academic institutions collaborating with over 45 industry partners. www.marei.ie

Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for marine research, technology, development and Innovation in Ireland. www.marine.ie

Marine Development Team has been setup by the Irish Government to assist in the implementation of its overarching marine policy, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth. The Team has been established within the Marine Institute - see above. www.marine.ie

Meitheal na Gaoithe is the Irish Wind Farmers' Cooperative Society which represents rural communities and individuals to promote wind energy. www.mnag.ie

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks owns the electricity transmission and distribution network in Northern Ireland. It is owned by the ESB -see above. www.nienetworks.co.uk

Northern Ireland Planning Service aims to improve the quality of life of the people of Northern Ireland by planning and managing development in ways which are sustainable and which contribute to a better environment. www.planningni.gov.uk

National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), a joint venture between Cork Institute of Technology and the Naval Service, is Ireland's national maritime educational and training institution. www.nmci.ie

Naval Service is the Naval arm of Defence Forces Ireland and the State's principal seagoing agency with a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. www.military.ie/naval-service

National Offshore Wind Association of Ireland (NOW Ireland) promotes Ireland's offshore wind resource. www.nowireland.ie

Offshore Renewable Energy Steering Group (ORESG) is an inter Departmental group, led by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and charged with overseeing the implementation of Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan. www.dccae.gov.ie

Science Foundation Ireland funds oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. www.sfi.ie

SmartBay Ireland supports the national marine test facility for the development of innovative products and services,notably at 1/4 scale for the global maritime sector in Galway Bay. www.smartbay.ie

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is charged with coordinating and supporting the development of Marine Renewables. www.sei.ie/

Single Electricity Market Operator is the wholesale electricity market operating in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is owned by Eirgird (see above) and SONI (see below) www.sem-o.com

System Operator Northern Ireland (SONI) is the electricity system operator for Northern Ireland and is owned by Eirgrid - see above. www.soni.ltd.uk

Utility Regulator is the electricity, gas and water and sewerage regulator in Northern Ireland. www.uregni.gov.uk

International

Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Association (AWATEA) was established in 2006 to promote marine energy in New Zealand. www.awatea.org.nz

Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for energy policy at a national level in the UK www.gov.uk/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), located in Orkney, Scotland, offers developers the opportunity to test full scale prototype devices in unrivalled wave and tidal conditions. www.emec.org.uk

NECEC is the voice of businesses building a world-class clean energy hub in the Northeast US www.necec.org

Marine Renewables Canada aligns industry, academia and government to ensure that Canada is a leader in providing marine renewable energy solutions to a world market. wwwmarinerenewables.ca

Marine Scotland Directorate is responsible for the integrated management of Scoland's seas www.beta.gov.scot/about/how-government-is-run/directorates/marine-scotland/

Ocean Energy Council (OEC) is a US online resource about ocean energy. www.oceanenergycouncil.com

Ocean Energy Europe is the representative body for ocean energy at EU level (MRIA is represented on the Board). www.oceanenergy-europe.eu/

Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) is responsible for promoting competition in the gas and electricity markets and for regulating the gas and electricity companies in the UK. www.ofgem.gov.uk

Ocean Power Innovation Network (OPIN) promotes collaboration on innovation among ocean energy companies. It is promoted by SEAI/ESB/MRIA from Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Scottish Enterprise which are referenced elsewhere in this section.

Renewable Energy Association (REA) represents renewable energy producers and promotes the use of sustainable energy in the UK. www.r-e-a.net

RenewableUK is the trade and professional body for the UK renewable energy industry. www.renewableuk.com

Scottish Enteprise is the lead economic development agency in Scotland and has responsibility for developing the industrial aspect to marine renewable energy www.scottish-enterprise.com

Scottish Renewables represents the renewable energy industry in Scotland. www.scottishrenewables.com

Wave Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to accelerate the development of wave energy technology. www.waveenergyscotland.co.uk