Ireland’s offshore wind strategy is expected to be ready in March 2024.
The document will give key guidance for developers interested in advancing offshore projects in Irish waters, as the country plans to rapidly expand in the area.
Colm Forde, a senior figure at the Department of Enterprise, said he expected the strategy to be ready in time for the annual WindEurope event, which is being held in Bilbao on March 20-22.
Speaking at Wind Energy Ireland’s 2023 trade show, he said: “I mentioned WindEurope in Bilbao in March.
“Our ambition would be to have an industry strategy ready to launch in that timeframe.”
The strategy is being keenly awaited by the renewable developers, many of which earlier this year paused plans for offshore projects in Ireland.
This came after the government introduced a requirement that offshore developments be built in Designated Marine Areas, the locations for which have yet to be identified.
Forde, a principal officer at the Department, is leading the development of this strategy.
“This is a collaboration across government, we want that to be hand in hand with the future proofing of offshore wind,” he said.
“We will have large quantities of offshore coming onshore at a small number of points on the coastline.
“This isn’t a point in time strategy, it’s more the start of a journey.
“It will be piece by piece as we build out over next 20 years.”
The state has committed to developing 7GW of offshore wind, which it said will be crucial in Ireland meeting its 2030 emissions reductions targets.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, has previously said the strategy needs to be delivered as a matter of urgency to ensure offshore wind development can move ahead as fast as possible.