Ireland is taking a phased approach to offshore wind deployment and participating projects and companies will be finalised through competitive auctions with some attrition expected during the process.
Following enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act in December 2021, I will have the responsibility for granting the first Maritime Area Consents (MACs) to an initial batch of offshore energy projects. The granting of MACs this year will represent a significant milestone in reaching our 2030 targets, and I recently launched a consultation on the proposed MAC assessment regime for these first projects, the ‘Relevant Projects’. A separate public consultation is also underway regarding the process for Phase Two projects to participate in subsequent offshore wind auctions which will be necessary to meet Government's 5GW target by the end of this decade.
The process to procure 5 GW of installed offshore wind generation by 2030 is expected to primarily take place through competitive auctions. It is not possible to forecast either the outcome of these future competitive auctions, or the prospects of projects subsequently securing all required consents, including planning permission.