The Government of Ireland has outlined its plans for installing 5 gigawatts of offshore wind generation by 2030.
The government aims to deliver a large portion of the target through the initial phase of offshore wind development in Ireland, which includes the first offshore wind auction to take place in the country under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, ORESS 1. This auction was launched by EirGrid in December 2022 and will be completed by June 2023.
Phase 1 projects are expected to deliver a combined capacity of around 4.4 gigawatts. With the possibility that some may fail to secure a route to market or development consent, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has approved the development of a Phase 2, which would procure the additional offshore-wind capacity required to meet the government’s targets.
Phase 2 offshore capacity will be procured through the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), with the size, regu