Irish Taoiseach (PM) Micheál Martin (pictured) has convened Ireland’s first Government Industry Forum on Offshore Renewable Energy, bringing together ministers, officials and industry leaders to assess progress and accelerate delivery of the sector at scale.
Held at Government Buildings, the event aimed to deepen collaboration between key public and private sector stakeholders driving Ireland’s offshore wind ambitions.
Speaking at the forum, the Taoiseach said Ireland’s “large maritime area and proximity to European and UK energy markets” provided “enormous potential for offshore renewable energy”.
“Ultimately, our shared aim is to replace the use of fossil fuels with clean renewable energy, harnessed from our own abundant resources,” he said.
“The offshore wind sector will provide new jobs, new economic and social opportunities and a more resilient, secure and sustainable energy system for future generations.
“We have made real progress in recent years, but we know that many challenges remain. We must acknowledge them honestly and work together to expedite the development of a sector that will be central to Ireland’s economic and energy future.”
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien described offshore renewable energy as “a key priority for this government”, pointing to the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce as instrumental in building momentum.
“Under this year’s work programme, we will maintain our focus on the delivery and rollout of offshore wind energy projects,” he said.
“This first-ever Taoiseach’s Forum arrives at an important time for the ORE industry in Ireland. Government just announced a transformative funding package for our onshore and offshore grid. We have five phase one projects in the planning system, with the expectation that these first projects will be in construction by 2030.
“Later this year, we will hold our second ORE auction, Tonn Nua, which will procure an additional 900MW of ORE capacity. We’re moving in the right direction and must keep this momentum going.”
Minister O’Brien reaffirmed Ireland’s position as “a key emerging market in the offshore wind energy space” and said the government remained “committed to working with industry to tackle sector challenges collaboratively”.
Minister of State Timmy Dooley emphasised Ireland’s “wind energy success story” in the onshore sector and said the goal now was to mirror that achievement offshore.
“Ireland is already a wind energy success story in onshore wind generation, with wind now accounting for over 35% of electricity generation annually,” he said.
“With Ireland’s natural advantage of abundant wind resources, there is enormous potential to develop our offshore wind industry to also be a global success.
“In May, the government announced a National Designated Maritime Area Plan to accelerate a national roll-out of offshore renewable energy. The goal is for the delivery of 20GW of offshore renewable energy by 2040.”
Dooley added that the plan would enable forward planning and infrastructure development, unlocking “tens of thousands of new green jobs for many communities across the State”.
“Together, we can deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy to our homes and businesses,” he said.