If you can’t beat em, join em, and that’s one view of a surprise move by the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) to become a partner in a two-gigawatt floating wind farm project off the coast of Donegal.

The KFO has signed a memorandum of understanding with Swedish renewable energy developer Hexicon and Sinbad Marine Services to explore development of a two-gigawatt offshore wind farm located 50k to 80 km off the Donegal coast.

KFO chief executive Sean O’Donoghue

KFO chief executive Sean O’Donoghue says the key element is that it has to be offshore, as the fishing industry has “huge problems with fixed wind”.

Industry organisations are also being presented with “lines on maps”, which is one of the reasons the KFO has taken what he describes as a “new approach”.

The plan also aims to develop Killybegs as a renewable energy hub and generate hydrogen to fuel the fishing fleet, as he believes marine fuels will be phased out in the next ten to twelve years.

KFO chief executive Sean O’Donoghue explained the background to Wavelengths.