In a major statement of commitment to Irish offshore wind energy, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD has announced another offshore wind auction will be run in 2025.
Ryan told delegates at the Wind Energy Trade Show 2024 that a new, second, offshore wind auction will be run next week.
This in addition to the announcement last week that an auction for the Tonn Nua site, off the coast of Waterford, will take place early in 2025.
Tonn Nua, known as ORESS 2.1, is the first ORESS phase 2 auction, which is state-led, making Li Ban 2.2, the second auction under phase 2.
A developer-led offshore wind auction was held in 2023 under a different regime.
Several hundred delegates from the global industry heard the Minister say he believed an auction should take place for the second site identified off the southern coast, known as Li Ban, before the end of next year.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “This is a tremendous boost for Irish offshore wind energy.
“It sends a message that will be heard right around Europe, that Ireland is committed to offshore wind and determined to accelerate.”
The Li Ban site is significantly larger than Tonn Nua and it is estimated a wind farm built at that location could be in the range of 1100MW to 1500MW in size compared to the 900MW proposed for Tonn Nua.
The sites were identified in the Designated Maritime Area Plan approved by the Oireachtas for the south coast of Ireland earlier in October.