Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2023
107. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to ensure floating offshore wind energy projects off the west coast are treated as a priority under phase 2 of the High Level Policy Statement, thereby enabling such projects to move forward in the same time anticipated for fixed bottom offshore wind projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9957/23]
View answerThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 committed Ireland to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. The carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings adopted under the Act require the electricity sector to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 75% by 2030 compared to 2018.
The 2023 Climate Action Plan sets out the roadmap and actions to deliver on this electricity sector emissions reduction and commits to 80% of Ireland’s electricity being sourced from renewables by the end of the decade. Among the most important measures in the CAP 2023 is the target of at least 5GW of installed offshore wind energy by 2030 to meet the electricity needs of Irish households and businesses by the end of the decade.
Fixed-bottom wind turbines are the only proven offshore wind technology currently in operation at scale in any jurisdiction around the world. Because of this, most of Ireland’s proposed offshore wind farms for this decade will utilise this technology. Given this, in the initial years of our offshore energy sectoral development in Ireland, our objective will be achieved through the deployment of this technology.
Floating wind is a developing technology, and I am fully committed to a longer-term plan that will enable the siting of floating wind turbines in our Southern and Western maritime area pending technological developments. Through the work currently being carried out on the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan, my Department is preparing for this now and well ahead of time and over the next few years we will build a framework of plans to support and develop this unique opportunity for Ireland.
