ESB has proposed introducing a new phase of offshore wind development to ensure the country hits its 5GW by 2030 capacity target.
Executive director Jim Dollard told delegates at this year’s Wind Energy Ireland Offshore conference that the semi-state utility would like a third phase to projects to be progressed, in addition to the relevant or phase 1 projects and the yet-to-be determined phase 2.
Dollard said that he believes implementing an additional phase would not only “build supplier confidence”, but also “increase competition” between industry developers that would offer increased certainty in meeting PFG targets.
He also added that the government needs to provide survey licensing outside of the 12nm limit in advance of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority being established under the MAP Bill.
“Unless we are working on these projects today, we’re not going to deliver tomorrow and we believe that survey licensing is really important now,” Dollard said.
A number of phase one projects are currently in the advanced stages of development and are looking to progress further in preparing bids for the first offshore RESS auction, including ESB and Parkwind’s 370MW Oriel offshore wind farm.