The Irish government has ratified conditions for its second offshore wind auction, “Tonn Nua”, scheduled to begin in early 2025 in the southern seas. This will be the second auction conducted under Ireland’s offshore renewable electricity support scheme (ORESS). The Tonn Nua site, lying 12 kilometres off the coast of Waterford, will produce 900 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, thereby reducing carbon emissions by 1.8 million tonnes annually once operational. Energy Minister Eamon Ryan anticipates the successful wind farm to be fully operational by 2032, if not earlier.
The past auction under ORESS-1 allocated more than 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity via four offshore wind initiatives, which could power 2.5 million households in Ireland at a rate of €86.05 per megawatt hour. The upcoming Tonn Nua auction will operate under the state’s inaugural spatial plan for offshore renewable development, namely the south coast designated maritime area plan (D-map). The D-map points out four areas off the Wexford and Waterford coasts for development in the forthcoming decade.
EirGrid will take responsibility for developing the subsea grid connections to Great Island in County Wexford and Cork, unlike the previous auction where developers were held responsible for connection establishment. The winning bidder of the Tonn Nua auction will also need to create a community benefit fund worth €140 million.
Eamon Ryan reiterated the importance of harnessing offshore renewable energy for Ireland in order to tackle the pressing global climate crisis. He also highlighted the auction’s strategic importance for energy security and affordability along with managing the electricity requirements of vital institutions like homes, hospitals, and businesses. The initiative is also expected to foster a harmonious co-existence of offshore activities and other marine pursuits like commercial fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and recreations.
The Minister announced that Ireland’s establishment of a marine planning and regulatory scheme is effectively communicating interest to entrepreneurs and investors. Moreover, it’s stated this would provide clarity to the citizens in terms of the type and location of future developments. The timing of this statement coincides with over 1000 international industry leaders and investors arriving for the 2024 Wind Energy Exhibition in Ireland, according to Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland.
Cunniffe emphasised the potential that Tonn Nua holds in stimulating an influx of green investment into the southern coastal communities. He also added that Ireland should now shift its attention towards identifying new viable sites to establish fixed and floating wind energy projects, thereby building an appealing portfolio of wind energy projects across Ireland’s maritime regions.