The Irish authorities right this moment revealed the framework and coverage for so-called Section Two of offshore wind growth in Eire, which it authorized on March 7, drawing criticism from business physique Wind Vitality Eire (WEI).
A lot of the authorities’s 5 GW offshore wind goal by 2030 is anticipated to be achieved by Section One tasks, which whole round 4.4 GW. These tasks will compete within the first offshore wind public sale to be accomplished by June 2023. A few of them, nevertheless, could fail to safe a path to market or growth consent.
The federal government mentioned that the transition from Section One to the long term enduring offshore regime will likely be generally known as Section Two.
A primary public sale to happen underneath Section Two, ORESS 2, will likely be launched by the top of 2023.
The Section Two auctions will procure offshore wind capability for growth inside particular person Offshore Renewable Vitality (ORE) Designated Areas. EirGrid has recognized obtainable onshore grid capability for 700 MW of offshore renewables off the South coast of Eire. ORESS 2 members will compete for assist to develop 350 MW every in two areas, or a 700 MW challenge inside a single ORE Designated Space.
As well as, past Section Two and the 5 GW goal, the federal government mentioned it has dedicated to Section Three which targets an preliminary 2 GW of floating offshore wind and will embody tasks obtainable for inexperienced hydrogen manufacturing.
WEI mentioned the brand new authorities offshore wind coverage jeopardises the 2030 targets.
“The plan contains two major changes which have implications for achieving the 2030 targets: First, it introduces a requirement that all future offshore wind farms must be built in Designated Marine Areas which have yet to be identified and may not be for 18-24 months. Second, it proposes that future offshore wind farms will not connect to points on land but to offshore substations to be designed and built by EirGrid, something never done by the company before,” its assertion reads.
“Our members have been working for years to deliver the projects Ireland needs only for the rules to change, without warning, in the middle of the process. We are effectively being told to stop developing offshore wind energy and wait for further decisions at a point when we have no time to lose,” commented Noel Cunniffe, chief government of Wind Vitality Eire.
“We urgently need to sit down with Government and identify what can be done to speed up the identification of areas for offshore wind farms,” Cunniffe additionally mentioned.
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