Ireland’s Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Damien English, and Ireland’s Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, have unveiled seven offshore renewable energy projects that have been designated as relevant projects.
Relevant projects are offshore wind projects that either applied for or were granted a lease under the Foreshore Act 1933, or offshore wind projects that are eligible to be processed to receive a valid grid connection offer. The Climate Action Plan commits to increasing Ireland’s offshore wind capacity to 3.5 GW as part of the country’s overall ambition to reach 70% renewable energy by 2030.
The announcement of these projects means that companies can continue to work and update a number of aspects of their current projects so they will be in a position to apply under the new marine planning regime, once enacted, which will be introduced by the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, 2020.
“I am pleased to announce a way forward for these offshore renewable energy projects which will now be determined under the planning regime to be introduced in the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, 2020,” says English.
“Under this new marine planning regime, these projects will apply for final development consent to An Board Pleanála which will provide further opportunities for public consultation on the individual projects,” he adds.
The projects that have been approved are:
- Oriel Wind Park
- Innogy Renewables (two projects Bray and Kish Banks)
- Codling Wind Park (two projects, Codling I and Codling II)
- Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (Skerd Rocks),
- North Irish Sea Array Ltd. (North Irish Sea Array)
Photo: Cliffside landscape of the Irish coast
