Irish Offshore Wind Grid Connections[Draft]

Ireland operates a plan-led, state-built model for offshore wind grid connections. The Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 replaced the antiquated Foreshore Act 1933 with a modern consenting system. The state designates development areas, EirGrid builds the offshore transmission, and developers compete for CfD support via ORESS auctions.

Before the MAP Act 2021, offshore wind developers required foreshore leases and licences from the Minister under the Foreshore Act 1933 — a near-century-old regime designed for coastal works, unsuited for large-scale offshore energy. Seven “Phase 1” projects held existing foreshore rights and were granted transitional MACs by MARA in December 2022.

Phase 1 projects were developer-initiated under the old foreshore regime. Developers selected sites, applied for foreshore leases, and are responsible for building offshore transmission (assets transfer to EirGrid post-commissioning). Four of seven projects won CfD support in ORESS 1 (May 2023).

The Future Framework (May 2024) plans yearly ORESS FF auctions from 2026 to 2030, targeting 9.5 GW over five years. ORESS 3.1/3.2 will award 2 GW of floating wind capacity dedicated to green hydrogen production (not grid-connected due to grid constraints).

Ireland’s offshore wind consenting operates as a two-consent model under the MAP Act 2021: a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) from MARA followed by planning permission from An Coimisiún Pleanála.

The Government designated EirGrid as Transmission Asset Owner for offshore grid assets in May 2021. EirGrid builds, owns, and operates all offshore substations, export cables, and onshore connection infrastructure (Phase 1 projects use a developer-built model with assets transferring to EirGrid post-construction). The offshore grid is regulated separately under the CRU’s Offshore Revenue Model (September 2024).

The ORESS operates as a two-way Contract for Difference (CfD), referenced against the SEM (Single Electricity Market) day-ahead price. When the market price is below the strike price, the generator receives a support payment from the PSO fund. When above, the generator pays back the difference.

Ireland is a member of the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC), alongside Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and the European Commission. The NSEC’s geographical scope includes the Irish and Celtic Seas. Ireland participates in coordinated auction scheduling and signed the Hamburg Declaration (January 2026) committing to 100 GW cross-border offshore wind by 2050.

Ireland’s first direct connection to continental Europe. Critical for energy security and future export of surplus offshore wind to European markets. EirGrid and RTE have signed an MoU on assessing hybrid interconnector–offshore wind potential.

Published May 2024 by DCEE, the Future Framework sets out 29 medium-term actions and a roadmap to 37 GW by 2050. Key targets: 20 GW by 2040 through yearly ORESS FF auctions (2026–2030) totalling 9.5 GW, and 2 GW floating wind for green hydrogen production.

Published September 2025 as a proposal, the National DMAP will provide a nationwide spatial framework for offshore renewable energy. Public consultation through 2026–2027 with expected completion end of 2027. This will unlock sites beyond the south coast for future auctions.

Ireland has world-class floating wind potential, particularly off the Atlantic west coast. The Future Framework targets 37 GW by 2050, with floating wind expected to dominate post-2035. SEAI commissioned BVG Associates (January 2025) to assess Ireland’s floating wind potential at scale. ORESS 3.1/3.2 will target 2 GW of floating capacity for hydrogen production.

This page was fact-checked using automated verification (OpenAI gpt-5.4 with web search). Two iterations were run against the research document, with findings independently verified before corrections were applied.