The Irish government is expected to approve a new renewable electricity support scheme next week as part of plans to add 4.5GW of new generation capacity by 2030.
Energy Minister Denis Naughten will bring the auction-based system known as RESS to a cabinet meeting in Dublin on Tuesday, according to sources.
If government ministers sign off on the proposal it will be sent to Brussels for state aid approval, which generally takes between six to nine months.
A first auction is pencilled in for the second half of 2019, it is understood.
Onshore and offshore wind as well as solar are expected to be eligible to participate, although it is not yet known if technology neutral or sector-specific rounds will be held.
The draft design for RESS was based on a Contracts for Difference auction model for renewable generators.
A so-called floating feed-in premium paying the difference between the market and strike price is the favoured option to replace the current feed-in tariff, according to the final consultation.
Image: reNEWS
Irish to agree auction plans
By EBS