The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is Ireland's national sustainable energy authority. SEAI was established by Government under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002 and has a mission to transform Ireland into a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices.
SEAI’s key objectives are:
- implementing strong energy efficiency actions;
- accelerating the development and adoption of technologies to utilise renewable energy sources;
- supporting innovation and enterprise for our low-carbon future; and
- supporting evidence-based responses that engage all actors.
SEAI is financed in part by Ireland’s EU Structural Funds Programme, co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.
SEAI have responsibility for the management and development of the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) off Annagh Head, west of Belmullet in County Mayo, which will be Ireland’s only full scale offshore test facility. The AMETS site was granted a Foreshore Lease by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) in January 2016 to enable deployment of wave devices.
Through the AFLOWT project the SEAI are tasked with securing all necessary environmental data as well as planning and consents to also allow for the deployment of Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) technologies, which will accelerate market uptake of FOW in NW Europe by demonstrating its cost competitiveness and survivability in harsh Atlantic metocean conditions.