Ms Martina Hennessy:

I am happy to take that question. The five relevant projects the Senator referenced are very much the initial number of projects we see being necessary as part of a pipeline. If we are to reach the 5 GW target by 2030, more projects will be required because the current projects that have been identified will only deliver half of that target if they get through the full planning system but there are no guarantees of that. It is important we view that 2030 target as a milestone. It is not a ceiling or an endpoint. The ambition is that whenever this Bill is enacted we would see a range of projects progress through the planning system whereby there would be a staggered delivery of projects over a period up to 2030 and beyond. We would expect the current relevant projects if they begin to go through the planning process, if this Bill is enacted, start to come on line from around 2026 onwards.

There are a number of reasons the initial focus is on the east coast. The current technology that offers the best commercial opportunities is based on fixed turbines. The east coast has shallow water that is best suited to fixed turbine devices being installed. There is a necessity to be able to connect to the grid. While EirGrid is building out its roadmap to support the extension of offshore renewable energy projects it will primarily be focused on the east coast and then move on to the south coast over the next decade or so to enable connection to the grid.

The greatest demand is on the east coast. There are a number of reasons the developments are concentrated initially on the east coast. The south and west coasts, because they have deeper water, are more suited to different types of technology that are at the earlier stages of development such as floating wind power and there are also opportunities for tidal and wave energy. Those developments on those coasts will offer future development opportunity beyond 2030 to get into the export market.

We envisage the initial project would start to progress through the marine planning and development management, MPDM, regime, once the legislation is enacted. We are working on identifying the next batch of viable projects. That is an important consideration. We have to examine what has the potential to be delivered and become operational. We are still working through the criteria to identify what those projects in the next batch need to look like to progress through the planning system so that we would start to build this pipeline to enable delivery to 2030 and beyond. I hope that answers the Senator's question.