Offshore wind target delivery
Michael McNamara questioned progress toward Ireland’s offshore wind targets and the limited scale of current auctions. The Taoiseach said more offshore development was planned but stressed the need for a plan-led approach, grid capacity and consents.
The target of generating 5 GW of offshore wind energy is a key plank of the programme for Government. This target was increased to 7 GW by 2030 in the course of the summer. I have heard the Taoiseach describe it as our moon shot. At present, Ireland generates 0.025 GW on the Arklow Bank. There is an offshore renewable electricity support scheme, ORESS, 1, auction process under way. If successful, it will generate 2.5 GW in its own terms. The controversial phase 2 announced this month is limited to an additional 0.7 GW. If any of the capacity in the 2.5 GW is not taken up, that will be taken up. The additional 2 GW has been downgraded to being under development by 2030, whatever that means, because all of the ORESS 1 projects are under development for ten years. How does 0.025 GW, 2.5 GW and 0.7 GW add up to 5 GW? If they do not, how is the Government going to meet its targets?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy. I will have to come back to him with a more detailed reply. We have made considerable process in the context of onshore wind. A huge amount of our electricity, nearly 30% or 40%, is produced by means of onshore wind. We will be going offshore much more, in addition to Arklow, but it is important that it is plan-led and that we have the grid and consents. This is quite a technical area. I understand it, but perhaps not as well as the Deputy does. What I might do is come back to the Deputy in writing, once I have conferred with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan.