The Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien, has announced the commencement of work on the preparation of a National Offshore Renewable (ORE) Energy Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP).
Minister O’Brien said: “The use of strategically planned DMAPs will ensure that developments in Ireland’s maritime area take place in a managed and sustainable way. The work on a National DMAP builds on the success of the South Coast ORE DMAP which was approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas last October.
“This supports our decarbonisation ambitions and our offshore renewables target of 20 GW by 2040. Having a single National DMAP will accelerate the process of site designation for offshore renewable energy. Having a single National DMAP supports the Programme for Government commitment and will provide greater certainty for our marine stakeholders and the renewables industry.
“An integrated, national approach will ensure that strategic forward planning for skills, enterprise and the industry-wide supply chain development can take place. Ports will have the ability to forward plan for the necessary large scale offshore infrastructure build-outs required to support ORE development, while forward planning for grid and interconnection can occur within the framework of a long-term holistic view. By focussing on a single DMAP, we will be able to maximise our re-sources, in terms of financial, human and time.”
The government has committed to achieving at least 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity, which will contribute to its target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030. To deliver our offshore wind energy ambitions, the government has implemented a plan-led approach which is being overseen by a cross-government Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce. This will ensure that development of offshore renewable energy is delivered through a number of overlapping phases – in a planned, strategic, economical and sustainable way, which will also guide investment in this sector.
The National DMAP will be delivered by a Project Team in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, supported by a Steering Group comprised of sectoral experts from across relevant government departments. Preparatory work is well underway, and work can commence immediately on the statutory process. The identification of suitable areas for offshore renewable energy will be determined following a process of rigorous analysis of maritime and environ-mental data using Geographic Information System (GIS) software.
Technical feasibility will be a key factor in determining the outer boundary for the DMAP. The department will work with the State’s maritime experts, such as the Marine Institute, to ensure that the approach will be evidence-based – using robust and best available data. Progress on key milestones, including public engagement milestones, will be reported on in a dedicated National DMAP workstream under the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce and through the Project Ireland Marine 2040 Group. It is expected that this DMAP will be completed by the end of 2027.
Minister of State with special responsibility for the Marine, Timmy Dooley, added:
“As an island nation with an extensive maritime territory, Ireland has one of the best offshore wind resources in the world. Our seas offer an untapped natural resource which can be the cornerstone of our energy transition. The offshore wind space also has the potential to create thousands of jobs and new investment opportunities by 2030 and beyond. The development of offshore wind projects, including floating offshore wind and other innovative technologies throughout our coastal areas, offers enormous economic opportunities for coastal communities, in terms of jobs growth and local community development. This strategic approach will also provide certainty to critical stakeholders, including the seafood industry, by providing long term clarity of proposed development areas. It also provides the opportunity to align with future Marine Protected Areas. The DMAP development process will be inclusive and will provide comprehensive consultation opportunities for public and stakeholder engagement.”
Minister of State in the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Environment, Climate and Communications, Alan Dillon concluded: “This national spatial plan will radically transform how we deliver offshore wind energy and is a strong signal of the state’s ambitions in the renewables sector. The subsequent roll-out of renewable energy infrastructure will mean we can rapidly scale-up the energy transition and add another layer to achieving a green economic future.
“As part of an all-of-government approach to deliver offshore wind, the recently published progress report on Ireland’s offshore wind industrial strategy, by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, shows considerable progress has also been made in our plans to develop a capable and vibrant local offshore wind supply chain. This will raise the international profile of Irish companies in this sec-tor, create numerous employment opportunities, and help to deliver the offshore targets within this plan.”
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