Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
134. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the delivery of 5GW of offshore renewable energy as planned for under the Climate Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27600/26]
View answerUnder the Climate Action Plan, greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector have reached an all time low, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and fallen by about 44% between 2016 and 2024.
The Climate Action Plan 2025 includes targets of 5 GW offshore wind, 9 GW onshore wind and 8 GW of solar capacity, together with a target of an 80% renewables share of electricity generation. Incremental progress is being made each year on these targets through a regular series of auctions under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.
In relation to offshore wind, five projects are progressing off our East coast, with planned capacity of 3.8 gigawatts. The first planning determination from An Coimisiún Pleanala is anticipated before the end of 2026, with the others to follow in 2027. Subject to approval, I anticipate that these five projects will be in procurement and construction over the next few years and be operational in the early 2030s.
In December 2025, I announced that Helvick Head DAC, a consortium of ESB and Orsted, had won my Department’s second offshore wind auction and will be developing the Tonn Nua 900 megawatt project off the coast of Waterford. I expect the Tonn Nua project to be energised by 2033. Tonn Nua was the first of four sites to be brought to auction from the South Coast DMAP.
My Department is working closely with EirGrid to develop grid connection options and is separately commissioning and procuring survey data of the second South Coast DMAP site known as Lí Ban.
My Department is also preparing plans to bring to market the remaining two sites within the South Coast DMAP over the next few years, delivering total capacity from the South Coast DMAP of close to 5 gigawatts.
Separately, my Department is advancing the National DMAP process, which will designate sufficient additional sites to facilitate our longer term targets.
