Irish utility ESB and Orsted have signed an agreement to jointly develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio in a landmark deal.
The agreement will see Orsted become a 50/50 partner in a pipeline of offshore wind development projects off the Irish coast, as first reported in the 9 February edition of subscriber-only reNEWS.
The partnership has the potential to deliver up to 5GW of renewable energy and complementary renewable hydrogen projects.
The first of these offshore wind projects is expected to compete in the next Irish offshore wind auction, ORESS 2.1.
The partnership also encompasses an agreement to explore opportunities from renewable hydrogen produced from the projects in the longer term.
Duncan Clark, Senior Vice-president and Head of UK and Ireland at Orsted, said: “With a strong Irish onshore portfolio already in place, we are delighted to begin our journey in the Irish offshore market with ESB; the company that brought electricity to Ireland, and that today plays a leading role in the path to net-zero.
“This partnership combines complementary strengths relevant to development in this market and creates an ideal platform for Orsted to bring its global expertise in the delivery of offshore wind to bear in Ireland.”
Jim Dollard, ESB Executive Director, Generation & Trading, said: “In recent years, ESB has amassed considerable expertise in offshore wind, partnering with leading energy companies in projects of scale and building a significant offshore footprint across Ireland and Great Britain.”
He added: “ESB is developing a large renewables pipeline, and as part of that has developed a strong portfolio of offshore wind projects around the coasts of Ireland. We are delighted to partner with Orsted, a global leader in the offshore wind industry, in developing this portfolio in Ireland.”