EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Topic Box 12.3 Offshore Wind Energy Sector in Ireland (Source: SEAI) Globally, the offshore wind energy sector is developing rapidly, with a current total capacity of 27 gigawatts (GW). Almost 80 per cent of this capacity is in Europe. The annual growth rate is almost 30 per cent annually. EU capacity is projected to increase by at least a factor of four by 2030, with offshore wind becoming the EU’s largest source of electrical energy in the 2040s. Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world and has the capacity to accommodate high levels of offshore generation. This provides a significant opportunity to decarbonise our electricity system and to advance the decarbonisation of the energy used in transport and heating, including through the production of hydrogen for energy storage and for use in heating and transport. The development of Ireland’s offshore wind resources is critical if Ireland is to meet the 2030 renewable energy targets in the Climate Action Plan (Government of Ireland, 2019). The Programme for Government 2020 10 commits Ireland to a long-term plan to take advantage of Ireland’s significant offshore energy potential, which also provides Ireland with a significant energy export opportunity. However, Ireland currently has only one offshore wind farm, Arklow Bank Wind Park, which has a capacity of 25 MW. Ireland’s national capacity will need to increase to at least 3.5 GW to contribute 70 per cent of renewable electricity by 2030, equivalent to four Moneypoint power stations. This ambition was increased further to 5 GW by 2030 in the recently ratified Programme for Government. A number of planned offshore energy projects are expected to be progressed to the next stage of development. These would contribute to meeting the 2030 target for offshore wind once the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill is passed. The Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) (DCCAE, 2014) is the policy framework for offshore renewables in Ireland. A new OREDP is currently being developed. Along with the development of the National Marine Planning Framework (DHLGH, in preparation), it should accommodate the increased ambition. Exploiting offshore wind will, however, require significant changes to our energy system. A strategy for exploiting this energy resource is needed, involving research, innovation and investments. The strategy’s focus should be on production, transport, storage and use relating to this renewable resource. It is important that any adverse societal and environmental impacts from offshore energy development are addressed so that the benefits of this resource are available to all and opportunities are maximised. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is already funding work in this area under the National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Programme. (Credit: SEAI) 10 https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/2020/06/draft-programme-for-govt.pdf 316