The Irish Government has published the National Designated Maritime Area Plan proposal for offshore renewable energy, setting out a plan-led framework to guide future development.
The strategy will identify sites around the coast suitable for fixed and floating offshore wind projects, as well as demonstration zones.
It is part of a Programme for Government commitment to accelerate offshore wind and underpins the target of delivering 20GW by 2040.
The proposal builds on the South Coast DMAP, approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024, where the first 900MW auction for the Tonn Nua project will take place in November.
The accompanying Public Participation Statement outlines how stakeholders and communities will be consulted during the two-year development process.
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien (pictured) said the plan “supports our decarbonisation efforts and our offshore renewables ambition of 20GW by 2040”.
He added: “Having a single National DMAP for ORE in place to follow on from the Phase One projects and the South Coast DMAP for ORE published last year will provide greater certainty for our marine stakeholders and the renewables industry.”
Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine Timmy Dooley said: “The continuing unpredictability of geopolitical events has made our dependency on fossil fuels unreliable and unaffordable. These combined pressures reinforce the need for Ireland to accelerate its transition to indigenous and transformative renewable energy sources.”
Extensive consultation on the proposal will take place in 2026 and 2027, with the final plan expected to be laid before the Oireachtas in 2027.