The Irish government has increased the 2030 offshore wind target from 5GW to 7GW.
The move is part of the setting of sectoral emissions targets, which call for a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector.
As well as the offshore wind target, Dublin has doubled the solar goal to 5.5GW and introduced a 2GW green hydrogen ambition.
A revised Climate Action Plan, to be published by the end of the year, will set out how the government intends to hit the targets.
Eamon Ryan (pictured), the Minster for Energy Department DECC, said “additional resources” will be provided to ensure the goals are met, although did not provide specifics.
“We’ve seen this summer how temperatures across Europe have soared and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated because of wildfires,” he said.
“The planet is clearly heating up rapidly and we need to take action quickly. By setting these targets, across six critical sectors of our economy, Ireland is stepping up to the plate in reducing our impact on an increasingly fragile planet.
“The targets that have been set today are going to be challenging for all sectors but they are also fair, appropriate and, importantly, based on what is achievable.
“We have also agreed additional resources and commitments to scale up and speed up our progress on solar, off-shore wind, anaerobic digestion for nature, and agro-forestry.
“I have every faith that we will, together, reduce our overall economy-wide carbon emissions, year by year. This is not just the right thing to do for our environment and our planet; this is also the smart thing to do for our economy, and to protect ourselves against the high cost of fossil fuels.”
However, Wind Energy Ireland warned the planning and grid systems need to be overhauled to deliver the goal.
Chief executive Noel Cunniffe said: “Our members have a project pipeline of significantly bigger than 7 GW. We have the investment, the skills and the expertise to respond to this call to action from the Government. We can put offshore wind energy and green hydrogen at the heart of an energy independent Ireland.
“Our planning system must be urgently reformed and properly resourced to ensure that the renewable energy projects needed to cut our carbon emissions and drive down electricity bills can get built as quickly as possible.
“The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has the power to instruct An Bord Pleanála to prioritise specific categories of applications and we would urge him to instruct the board to give priority to renewable energy projects and grid reinforcements.
“Our electricity grid is not fit for purpose. We need to build critically needed new infrastructure like the North-South Interconnector and we must invest in EirGrid and ESB Networks to ensure that the system can, when the wind and solar is available, operate with 100 per cent renewables.”