Ireland Partners With EIB for Development of Offshore Wind Ports

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has partnered with the Irish government to develop ports for offshore wind projects. This agreement was made to help Ireland improve its port infrastructure to support large-scale wind energy.

Ireland has a vast coastline perfect for offshore wind farms. The Irish government aims to generate 5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and reach 37 GW by 2050. This ambitious goal will require about $33 billion to develop offshore renewable energy.

Currently, Ireland lacks ports that can handle these massive wind energy projects. The EIB and Ireland’s Department of Transport have agreed to provide advice and plans to upgrade five ports. These ports could become key energy hubs, helping with the development, construction, and maintenance of wind projects. Together, they will also evaluate the costs of improving the port infrastructure and look at the best ways to fund these upgrades.

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Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Transport, said, “Ireland has huge potential for offshore wind. This partnership with the EIB is a big step to make sure our ports are ready to support these important wind projects for a sustainable energy future.”

In 2023, Ireland held its first offshore wind auction (called ORESS 1), where four projects were chosen with a total capacity of about 3.1 GW. These projects include Codling Wind Park (1.3 GW), Dublin Array (824 MW), North Irish Sea Array (500 MW), and Sceirde Rocks (450 MW).

The second round of the offshore wind auction (ORESS 2.1) will take place later this year, offering about 900 MW of capacity. This auction will mostly focus on projects located on the south coast of Ireland.