Ireland could develop up to 18 GW of additional fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity beyond its current plans, according to a new government report.
The Offshore Wind Technical Resource Assessment, published by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, estimated that an additional 3.5 GW to 18 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind could be feasibly developed around the Irish coastline, in addition to the 8 GW already committed through phase one projects and the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan.
While the report acknowledges Ireland’s significant potential for floating offshore wind, it concluded that fixed-bottom remains the less expensive option across all current feasible locations, in the near term, while anticipating floating technology to commercialise.
Climate and Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien, speaking at the Wind Energy Ireland Offshore Wind 2025 event in Dublin, emphasized the importance of the report: “”The Offshore Wind Technical Resource Assessment is an important initial step as we look to designate offshore wind sites along our coastline, by providing a high-level assessment of potential areas for project development to inform planning.”
The findings will support Ireland’s next phase of offshore wind planning, including comprehensive marine spatial planning and the development of a National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy.
The report was released alongside the government’s Future Framework 2025 Review, which reaffirmed a national target of 20GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040.