The Irish Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has opened a consultation on the first auction to supply electricity from offshore wind under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS 1).
The aim of this targeted consultation is to engage stakeholders and gather feedback on aspects of the Terms and Conditions to ensure the efficient and economical delivery of renewable electricity projects under ORESS 1.
The first offshore auction will be a major step towards meeting the Government’s goals of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030, with 5GW coming from offshore wind and a long-term plan to take advantage of a potential of at least 30GW of floating wind thereafter. It will also support achievement of the objectives set out under the Climate Action Bill and the measures set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021.
At least three offshore auctions are currently planned. Due to the relatively long development timelines of offshore wind projects, only the first two of these auctions can be expected to contribute towards Ireland’s 2030 5GW installed capacity target.