Wind Energy Ireland has welcomed the provisional results of the auction for the 900MW Tonn Nua site off Waterford, describing the outcome as a strong vote of confidence in Ireland for offshore wind investment.
The successful bid of 98.72 came from a joint venture between ESB and Orsted, which the organisation said compares favourably with European auction outcomes in recent years.
“Today’s auction is a great vote of confidence in Ireland as a place to invest for offshore wind energy,” Wind Energy Ireland chief executive officer Noel Cunniffe (pictured) said.
“Tonn Nua will deliver enormous volumes of clean, affordable, electricity for Irish consumers and represents a huge economic opportunity for Waterford and the south-east of Ireland generally,” Cunniffe said.
He added that the organisation looks forward to working with ESB and Orsted to ensure the project is delivered and becomes the foundation of an offshore sector on Ireland’s south coast.
Cunniffe said the department deserves credit for a well-designed auction system that has delivered a strong price.
However, Wind Energy Ireland said there is no clarity on the timeline for future projects.
“There are three other sites off Ireland’s south coast which have been identified for offshore wind energy but there is no clarity on when, how or even if they will move forward,” Cunniffe said.
He said a national map of new sites is planned by the end of 2027 but until then further project development is effectively stalled.
Wind Energy Ireland said the 900MW Tonn Nua site would produce enough electricity to power around 800000 Irish homes.
EirGrid has also welcomed the selection of Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC, a joint venture between ESB and Orsted, as developer in the Government’s ORESS Tonn Nua auction.
EirGrid said it has been tasked by Government to deliver the transmission infrastructure needed to connect power from the site to the onshore grid under the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan.
The ORESS Tonn Nua auction is administered by EirGrid on behalf of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
“This announcement marks another milestone in Ireland’s offshore energy journey,” EirGrid chief transformation, technology and offshore officer Liam Ryan said.
“Ireland has one of the best offshore wind and green energy resources in the world and will play a pivotal role in meeting our growing energy needs,” Ryan said.
“We look forward to collaborating with Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC and Government as we work together to make this project a success and help drive Ireland towards a cleaner energy future,” Ryan said.