Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
147. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many offshore wind farms are currently under construction in Ireland; and how much electricity he expects them to generate. [19252/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Climate Action Plan 2023, the Government has committed to achieving at least 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, representing the first steps in achieving a long-term plan, set out in the Programme for Government, to take advantage of a potential of at least 30GW of floating wind post-2030.
The Government’s approach to offshore wind development involves several workstreams which are underway simultaneously:
• Phase One, which corresponds to the first offshore renewable electricity auction (ORESS 1), for delivery by 2030;
• Phase Two, which involves an accelerated work programme for the delivery of 5GW by 2030, as established by the Phase Two Policy Statement;
• Phase Three, which targets an additional 2GW of floating wind capacity to be in development by 2030, and
• the Future Framework for offshore wind post-2030.
The Phase One projects, which will be the first batch of projects to progress through the planning process and offshore auctions, will deploy fixed-bottom technology, with the majority of these Phase One projects on the east coast and one on the west coast. The combined capacity of all Phase One projects is approximately 4.4GW. However, some Phase One projects may fail to secure a route to market or a development consent. As a result, Phase Two projects will make up the balance to meet the 2030 target.
While no offshore wind projects are currently under construction, significant work has been undertaken by my Department over the last two years to build a regulatory environment to allow these Phase One projects to apply for the Maritime Area Consents (MACs) necessary to occupy the maritime area (the consent area) on a non-exclusive basis for the construction and operation of an Offshore Wind Farm and associated infrastructure.
Following detailed assessment of the applications, I granted MACs to seven Phase One projects in December 2022. This is an important step in making sure that viable Phase One projects can progress through the planning system in a timely manner and become operational later this decade.
The Phase One MACs, which have been granted, have been carefully drafted to ensure the speedy progression of only the most viable offshore wind energy projects to meet Ireland’s energy targets, while protecting the State’s interest in its valuable maritime resource. Those projects with a MAC must apply for planning permission within 18 months and must secure a Route to Market before the end of 2025. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of their consents.
Phase One projects which hold a MAC are eligible to partake in the ORESS 1, the first auction for offshore wind under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme. This process is underway, with the auction to run this month and provisional results to be published in May.
The development of offshore wind across all phases is co-ordinated by the inter-Departmental, inter-agency, Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce, chaired by my Department, to drive a whole of Government mobilisation of the economy towards offshore wind.
