Wind Energy – Ireland
Four areas off the Waterford and south Wexford coast have been designated for offshore wind development over the coming decade following publication of Ireland’s first draft DMAP, which will be the focus of future State auctions up to and after 2030.
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan, who announced the sites on Friday, said he understood likely frustration among developers who surveyed potential sites off Cork, but said this plan-lead approach was the best way to quickly get the best-located projects in place and close to shore and grid using fixed-bottom turbines.
An auction this autumn will seek to develop a 900megawatt (MW) wind farm within the ‘Tonn Nua’ (meaning new wave) site directly off Co Waterford, some 12.5km from the coastline – a distance aligned with offshore wind farms in other parts of Europe.
It is envisaged this would be in place by decade end, while the three other sites in deeper water would be developed after 2030. These are named Lí Ban (the Celtic mermaid saint), Manannán (Irish Sea god) and Danu (god of nature), all off the Wexford coast.
