Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Offshore Wind Energy Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. Gary Tobin:

Again, this is an excellent question. We very much need to develop the capacity of the grid, without a shadow of a doubt. There are short-term and more medium-term challenges. Some large-scale energy users are exploring the potential for offshore wind energy themselves and having discussions with developers. Increasingly, large international companies are being asked by the customers to ensure that their activities are green on a 24-7 basis. Potentially, there are opportunities for offshore wind to be brought onshore and perhaps not even necessarily connected to the grid. Some of this activity could be off grid.