Renewable electricity from offshore wind expected after 2030
An indicative timeline contained within the first draft Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan (OREAP) suggests that Northern Ireland’s first offshore wind farm will be operational shortly after 2030.
The indicative timeline published by the Department for the Economy correlates with the recently published proposed high level design for a renewable electricity support scheme for Northern Ireland, which suggests that offshore wind is unlikely to play a role in Northern Ireland’s target of 80 per cent electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030.
The Energy Strategy Action Plan 2022 committed the Department to a target of 1GW of offshore wind capacity from 2030, with a view to accelerating deployment where possible.
While the contribution of offshore wind generation to Northern Ireland’s net zero by 2050 target has been acknowledged, the Department say it is not possible to confirm the scale and timings of offshore renewable generation deployment in Northern Ireland.
Therefore, a proposed auction roadmap indicates two auctions will take place to support renewable projects and enable operation before 2030, with offshore wind potentially featuring in a third auction, a timeline for which has not been set.
The draft Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan, for which submissions for the consultations process closed on 16 March 2023, has been developed with three proposed principles to guide the implementation of the action plan. These are:
- sustainable development in the marine environment;
- adaptive approach; and
- collaboration and partnership.
The draft action plan states that four expert stakeholder working groups are to be established, which identify “key actions required to deliver offshore wind deployment in Northern Ireland waters”. The working groups are:
- planning, licensing, and consenting;
- network development;
- legislative powers; and
- sectoral growth.
These working groups are complemented by an Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan Steering Group which aims to oversee the delivery of the action plan. The OREAP Steering Group also has the function of monitoring and ensuring that actions within the OREAP are delivered in an “environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable way”.
The offshore wind action plan outlines 2028 as a prospective timeframe for the issuing of offshore generation and transmission licencing.
Currently, Northern Ireland has no offshore wind generating capacity. However, potential scope for progress exists from a 2023 announcement on enabling the construction of offshore wind infrastructure.
In January 2023, a Statement of Intent between the Department for the Economy (DfE) and The Crown Estate was announced which commits towards establishing offshore wind leasing in Northern Ireland.
