Plans for a large wind farm off the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow, expected to cost over €2 billion, will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in the coming days.
German energy giant RWE and Irish company Saorgus plan to build the wind farm on the Kish and Bray Banks – known as Dublin Array – 10km off the east coast.
It will contain between 39 and 50 large wind turbines – up to 310 metres in height when the blades are factored in – and be capable of generating up to 824 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity, or enough to power to 770,000 homes.
The development could play a key role in helping the State meet its renewable energy targets, which include a target of having 80 per cent of total electricity demand coming from renewable sources by 2030.
Subject to planning permission and a financial investment decision, construction of Dublin Array could begin as early as 2027, with operations projected to start in 2030, the companies said.
The proposed development would have an operational base in Dún Laoghaire Harbour with a new facility being located on St Michael’s Pier adjacent to the ferry terminal building.
“We have had extensive consultations and communications with stakeholders and local communities in recent years, this has been with the aim of keeping people informed about the project and to seek their views and inputs,” Vanessa O’Connell of RWE Renewables Ireland and the Dublin Array project director said.
“RWE has a strong track record of working closely with communities in areas where we operate offshore wind projects, and that will also be the case with Dublin Array,” she said.
Paul Kelly, also from RWE Renewables Ireland, said: “The submission of our planning application is a very significant milestone for Dublin Array and for the Irish renewable energy sector.”
“RWE has been the lead developer on this project since 2019 whose work has involved extensive site surveying, scientific and engineering assessment, public and stakeholder consultation, all of which will enable us to deliver the most sustainable design for the project,” he said.
