Ireland’s ambitious plans for offshore energy have entered a critical phase as four developers have lodged planning applications, with two more due to do so later this year — committing to deliver renewable power to more than four million households and businesses.
Five wind farms proposed for the Irish Sea and one off the Co Galway coast involve investment of some €10 billion which, if approved by An Bord Pleanála, could start supplying 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of power before 2030.
The scale of renewables in the pipeline is indicated by national electricity demand at present, which reached a record peak of 5.6GW on January 18th. The Government plan is to have 5GW of offshore renewables by 2030.
If all six wind farms become operational they are projected to save 5.7 million tonnes of carbon annually, cutting Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by almost 10 per cent — total Irish emissions in 2022 were 61 million of CO2 equivalent. Potentially, this could be a big contributor to bringing legally-binding carbon budgets into line, especially in the 2026-2030 period.
Under new powers, the first tranche of offshore projects using fixed-bottom turbines obtained consent enabling them to go directly to An Bord Pleanála for consideration — in effect, the last hurdle before construction. Provided they meet planning, environmental and financial requirements, it brings the prospect of beginning to generate power from 2028.
There is, however, significant opposition to some projects because of their proximity to coastlines and environmental concerns, particularly about coastal erosion, sea mammals and migratory birds — some are proposed for EU-designated special protection areas. This may mean they will be subject to legal challenge which is likely to delay their construction.
The Government plans to see wind farms generating 37 gigawatts (GW) of power by 2040, with increasing development of floating offshore wind farms farther out to sea during the 2030s. This is in a scenario where electricity demand is expected to more than double due to decarbonisation of the economy and widespread electrification, especially in transport.
The State awarded contracts in 2023 to four of the six developers, while the other two will pursue a different route to market.
Codling Bank, which has a State contract, is set to be the largest offshore wind project. Planned for 13km to 22km off the Wicklow coast, between Greystones and Wicklow town, it would power 1.2 million homes and link to the grid at Ringsend on Dublin Bay.
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