Irish Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has issued Maritime Area Consents to seven offshore wind farms in the country.
The seven Phase One projects to receive consents are Parkwind and ESB’s 375MW Oriel Wind Park, SSE Renewables’ Arklow Bank 2, RWE and Saorgus’ 900MW Dublin Array, Statkraft’s 500MW North Irish Sea Array, EDF and Fred Olsen’s 1.5GW Codling Wind Park (Codling 1 and Codling 2), and Corio Generation’s 450MW Skerd Rocks.
The consents will allow the Phase One projects to progress through the Irish planning system.
It also enables the projects to participate in the ORESS 1, the first auction for offshore wind under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). ORESS 1 is expected to procure approximately 2.5GW of electricity generating capacity.
Projects which have been granted a maritime area consent will be required to apply for development permission and secure a route to market within set timeframes, ensuring project progression and maximising benefits to the state.
Phase One projects are also required to pay an annual levy to the State – under the terms of their consents.
Minister Ryan said: “With the award of Maritime Area Consents [MACs] to seven Phase One projects today, we have given Ireland’s most viable and well-advanced offshore energy projects the opportunity to progress through the planning system and reach development. This is a significant milestone on the pathway to decarbonising our energy supply and securing energy independence.
“These first Maritime Area Consents [MACs] have been carefully drafted to promote the speedy and efficient deployment of offshore renewable energy, while ultimately protecting the State’s rich and unique maritime resource, in line with the principles of the National Marine Planning Framework.”