Limerick City is one of two European ‘Lighthouse’ cities that have been selected under the EU +CityXChange Programme to take part in a climate change pilot programme with an ambition to achieve sustainable urban ecosystems. Supported by funding from the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the scheme's core objective is to demonstrate how new technology could support European cities in reducing their carbon footprint.

The principal challenge this project had to overcome was the use of new technology and the associated grid connection, which was proposed for installation at Thomond Weir, within the historic core of Limerick City. The River Shannon is a hub for recreational activities, sports clubs and tourist attractions, which meant identifying the optimal location for the turbines, which would convert the kinetic energy generated by the river and estuary flows into renewable energy, would be key to the overall success of the project.

A key challenge was assessing with confidence that the embedded design principles of the turbines avoided possible impacts on biodiversity. To overcome this challenge we conducted complex desktop and field surveys of the aquatic and riparian ecological features of the river. Through collaboration with the project design team, our work to identify any potential environmental and ecological impacts of the turbine allowed the optimal site location to be identified, avoiding significant impacts and meaning the project did not require a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

Early consultation with the client and local communities, businesses and clubs ensured that feedback and concerns could be addressed before the submission of environmental reports. This significantly reduced the risk of project delays as a result of formal submissions and appeals to the planning process.