Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022
143. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered bringing forward a ring-fenced auction specifically for floating offshore wind energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12531/22]
View answer144. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current floating offshore target for 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12532/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.
The Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a suite of actions to realise the full potential of the totality of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources. This will include floating offshore wind energy. The Programme for Government commits to the achievement of 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and a further commitment to develop a longer-term plan to harness the estimated potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power in our Atlantic waters.
The 5GW target will be primarily met through development of offshore renewable energy in Ireland’s eastern and southern coastal regions. This reflects the suitability of water depths in these regions for deployment of conventional fixed bottom offshore wind turbines and existing electricity grid infrastructure to connect these projects to the onshore grid. Subsequent cost-effective deployment of renewables in deeper waters off the west coast, to take advantage of greater wind resources, should be increasingly feasible through future advances in floating turbine technology. The Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 provides the legal underpinning to an entirely new marine planning system, which will balance harnessing our huge offshore wind potential while protecting our rich and unique marine environment. Work on a revised Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II) is currently in progress and will be completed this year. This will set out the pathway for the development of offshore renewable energy beyond 2030.
In Q1 2022, my Department opened a consultation on the proposed assessment criteria for the first batch of Maritime Area Consent (MAC) applications from a set of seven qualified ORE projects. Consultation will also shortly conclude on how the second batch of projects (Phase Two) will be selected to enter the new consenting system. This includes a proposal to allow for an Innovation Category in Phase Two which may be of specific interest to developers of floating offshore wind energy designs.
