The Irish government has approved the first capacity auction to be held under the country’s new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.
The round, which will open early next year subject to EU state aid approval, will deliver up to 3000 gigawatt-hours of generation, all of which is pegged to come online by end-2022.
All renewables technologies can compete with categories of 10% for solar and 30GWh for “community led” schemes.
Community benefits funds of €2 per megawatt-hour annually will be obligatory for participants while RESS will also mandate that locals have access to invest in projects.
Energy minister Richard Bruton said Ireland must radically reduce this dependence and make the transition to renewable energy.
The country has set a 70% target by 2030 and plans to hold a number of further auctions in the coming years, including for offshore wind.
“We are exiting from peat and coal to generate electricity and moving to clean, renewable sources of power, like wind and solar,” he said.
“The RESS is a flagship government policy designed to deliver on our commitments to decarbonise our electricity grid, harness our natural resources and bring renewable energy into the heart of our communities.
“Today, I am announcing the details of the first auction under the Scheme. Installed wind capacity has grown by 50% since 2015. This auction could see capacity grow further by 30% in the next three years, with solar and community participation.”