Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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146. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on his work to date exploring the potential for Ireland in developing offshore wind power particularly floating wind power; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18852/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a suite of actions to realise the full potential of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources. The Programme for Government commits to the achievement of 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and a further commitment to develop a longer-term plan to harness the estimated potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power in our Atlantic waters. The 5GW target will be primarily met through development of fixed bottom offshore wind turbines in Ireland’s eastern and southern coastal regions. Subsequent cost-effective deployment of renewables in deeper waters off the west coast, to take advantage of greater wind resources, should be increasingly feasible through future advances in floating turbine technology.

Work on a revised Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II) has been initiated by my Department. This will provide an evidence base for the identification of the most suitable areas for the sustainable development of fixed and floating wind, wave, and tidal technologies, while also considering other maritime activities and marine biodiversity. The OREDP II will set out the pathway for the development of offshore renewable energy, including floating offshore wind, beyond 2030.

The first batch of projects to progress through the new marine consenting process will be fixed bottom wind turbines on the east coast. My Department recently held a consultation on the criteria to use to select the second batch of projects required to meet our 5GW target. This includes a proposal for an Innovation Category which is of particular relevance to developers of floating offshore wind energy projects. Responses are currently being assessed, with a decision on the Phase 2 criteria to be taken later this year.