Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

To capitalise on the considerable resource potential of our marine area, Government has adopted a phased approach to offshore renewable energy development in Ireland, with the overarching objective of achieving 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and a net-zero economy by 2050. Phase one is intended to deliver the maximum competitively procured offshore wind capacity at the earliest feasible deployment stage, with the six most advanced offshore wind projects in Ireland having participated in our first competitive offshore wind auction earlier this year, known as ORESS 1. Phase two aims to procure the remainder of the 5 GW capacity target for 2030 through further competitive ORESS auctions. In line with the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, all future offshore wind developments will be located within designated maritime area plans, DMAPs, established by Government and approved by the Oireachtas.

The final phase of offshore wind deployment is referred to as the future framework. This will establish an evidence-based pathway for developments beyond 2030. Floating offshore wind technology is expected to make an increasingly important contribution towards achieving Ireland’s long-term renewable energy and climate objectives, including with regard to potential export opportunities, and will enable developments to take place off our western and south-western coasts. A future framework policy is currently under development and will be consulted upon in the coming months before publication next spring, contingent on Government approval. This policy will provide an evidence-based framework for the subsequent establishment of future DMAPs for floating offshore wind.

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