RWE Renewables Ireland has appointed Vanessa O’Connell as its new Development Project Director for the Dublin Array offshore wind farm.
Dublin Array is a proposed 824MW offshore wind farm, which will be located about 10 kilometres from the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow.
Vanessa replaces Peter Lefroy, who has been leading the project since 2018, while also being the Offshore Development Head for Ireland. Peter will continue in his role as Offshore Development Head of RWE Ireland & UK West.
Vanessa brings more than 12 years of experience in leadership in the offshore wind sector to RWE. She has worked across all stages of offshore wind projects, encompassing development, construction, and operations, with involvement in nine offshore wind projects.
Vanessa spent over ten years at Ørsted, working on projects such as Hornsea 1 (1.2GW), Burbo Bank Extension (258MW), Walney Extension (659MW), and Barrow (90MW). On Hornsea 1, Vanessa held leadership positions in the commercial function, served on the construction leadership team, and assumed overall accountability for the asset during its transition to the operational phase.
Returning to Ireland over two years ago, Vanessa assumed the role as Head of Inis Offshore Wind. This independent offshore wind developer, backed by Temporis and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, focuses on early stage development in Ireland.
Vanessa holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a BA in Economics from Trinity College Dublin. She lives in Dun Laoghaire with her husband and two daughters.
Commenting on the appointment, RWE Director of Offshore Development UK & Ireland Danielle Lane said:
“I’m delighted that Vanessa has chosen to join RWE and Dublin Array. Her skills and experience in working in offshore wind will make a great contribution to the project at an important time. Dublin Array is a flagship project in the Irish offshore wind market and Vanessa is joining a strong, established team that will thrive under her leadership.”
Dublin Array
Dublin Array is a proposed offshore wind farm, which will be located on the Kish and Bray Banks, approximately 10km from the coastline of counties Dublin and Wicklow. It is being developed by RWE, one of the world’s leading developers of renewable energy, and Irish renewable energy firm Saorgus Energy. RWE is leading the development on behalf of the partnership.
Once operational, the project will deliver up to 824MW of clean, renewable electricity and will consist of up to 50 wind turbines. This is enough energy to supply around 770,000 homes and reduce Ireland’s annual carbon emissions by over 1.4m tonnes per year. The final decision on the number of turbines will be informed by ongoing surveys and detailed design work.
The Dublin Array project will also bring significant economic benefits during its construction and operation, with over 1,000 construction phase jobs and 80 direct and 160 indirect full-time jobs expected during the 30-year operational phase. Dublin Array’s operations base is expected to be located within Dún Laoghaire, resulting in an estimated €540 million in local expenditure across the Greater Dublin Area.
Dublin Array was awarded its Maritime Area Consent (MAC) in December 2022. A MAC is required for any proposed Irish offshore wind farm development to be able to seek planning permission. Subject to planning permission, the project could be operational by 2028.