Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on offshore renewable energy; if there are plans to development more than 900 MW currently planned; if there is sufficient grid capacity to facilitate additional developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17708/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Climate Action Plan 2024 commits to achieving at least 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. The Government's Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce is driving delivery of this objective.

Our first offshore wind auction (ORESS 1) took place in 2023 and awarded supports to four projects. Two further projects that were unsuccessful in the ORESS 1 auction are pursuing a route to market by contracting with large energy users to provide them with clean renewable energy through corporate power purchase agreements. These six projects combined account for a total of 4.3 GW. All six projects have now submitted applications for planning consent to An Bord Pleanála.

Our second offshore wind auction for the 900 MW Tonn Nua site located in the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (South Coast DMAP) will take place later this year, further contributing to our 5GW target. The Terms and Conditions for the Tonn Nua auction were published in October 2024. Following feedback from the offshore wind industry I plan to make some technical updates to the Terms and Conditions and will publish that in the coming weeks. Separately, Eirgrid has recently published its interim Grid Connection Information pack for the Tonn Nua project, marking another important milestone in preparations for the auction.

Beyond the Tonn Nua auction, a further three renewable energy development areas are designated within the South Coast DMAP. These sites have capacity to develop in excess of a further 3 GW of offshore wind. This important pipeline of projects will be progressed through the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce and in consultation with the offshore wind industry.