Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 6 April 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

National Marine Planning Framework: Discussion

Ms Anne-Marie Clancy:

As the Chair mentioned, we have significant targets for offshore renewable energy for 2030. We are looking at a target of 5 GW for offshore wind energy development off the east and south coasts by 2030. To make this happen, we need certainty and stability which will be essential for triggering investments in wind energy projects. The NMPF, together with the maritime area planning Bill, are going to be key to enabling the achievement of these goals. The enactment of the legislation will allow us to move from the current decentralised, developer-led regime towards a much more plan-led regime.

On the process for the designation of MPAs, given our 2030 targets for offshore renewable energy and the long lead-in times for developing offshore wind projects, we are in a situation where the MPAs will not be designated in time for development of these projects. We are liaising closely with the relevant officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, to ensure decisions made over the coming years can be taken in the context of the best available data.

We have one offshore renewable energy development plan in place now. It was published in 2014. It assessed the capability of various zones around the entire coast to support the development of offshore renewable energy. The strategic environmental assessment, SEA, that underpinned it found that 4.5 GW of offshore wind and 1.5 GW of wave and tidal energy generation could be developed in Irish waters in the period to 2030. Since 2014, however, there have been significant developments in technologies. We also have available to us now much richer data sets. Accordingly, the Department is undertaking a complete review of the offshore renewable energy development plan. To do this, we are carrying out an assessment of what data are out there and what gaps exist. Once we identify these, we will start modelling to identify areas suitable for future offshore renewable energy development plans. This will feed into the transition towards a much more plan-led approach to development in the marine space.

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