Ireland is to scale up offshore wind energy after 2030 under a €100 billion strategy which will initially involve the deployment of fixed-bottom turbines concentrated off the south and east coasts, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan has said.
This approach is forecast to deliver 20 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2040 — more than three times the total electricity volumes generated in the State, said Mr Ryan. This will pave the way for Ireland to export excess renewable power to the UK and Europe.
The use of larger floating turbines farther out to sea will not be pursued until the technology is proven and competitive on a cost basis, he said. But these will be central to Irish renewables development in due course.
The Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy, a report published on Wednesday, sets out “a policy pathway Ireland will take to deliver 20GW of offshore wind by 2040 and at least 37GW in total by 2050”, said the Minister.
“Critically, it also provides the evidence base for Ireland’s ambitious offshore renewable energy targets,” he added.
The Green Party leader said the strategy aims to derisk the market for developers who will, in turn, invest more than €100 billion over the next 20 years, while the State would provide critical support by investing in port development and strengthening the power grid.
“It is giving real certainty now,” he added. “The Government is locked in. This is what we are doing, this is how we are going to do it. And it’s a €100 billion investment in energy for the country, probably the biggest investment ever in the country; Ardnacrusha to the power of a hundred.”
The State, said Mr Ryan, would designate offshore sites for development, known as Dmaps, while scaling up marine planning, grid connection and supply chains. It would also expand ports and provide the necessary skilled workforce and “regulatory consenting” process as well as ensure the protection of marine biodiversity. A draft south coast Dmap, identifying several sites where wind farms will be permitted, is to be made public on Friday.
The framework, approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, was produced through the Government’s offshore wind delivery taskforce and includes “29 key actions to develop Ireland’s long-term, plan-led approach to offshore wind”.
It includes analysis of economic opportunities to encourage investment and maximise the financial and economic return of offshore renewable energy to the State and local communities. It also sets out the potential to export excess renewable energy through increased interconnection with other countries.
“Renewable energy projects are poised to revolutionise our economy, offering significant regional and national economic benefits while giving us more control over our energy sovereignty,” said Mr Ryan. “Our offshore wind energy is potentially the largest domestic source of electricity that can replace volatile, imported fossil fuels.”
The first ports to be expanded to support offshore wind development would be in Cork and Rosslare, said Mr Ryan, though Belfast and UK ports on the Irish Sea were likely to be used also for six offshore fixed-turbine wind farms scheduled to deliver 5GW by 2030. Mr Ryan expected planning applications for these wind farms to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála this year.
To facilitate projects off the western seaboard, Shannon-Foynes or another port along that coastline would be expanded, he said.
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