December 2020 – The ESB Equinor partnership apply for a Foreshore Licence for Helvick Head Offshore Wind.

The Helvick Head Offshore Wind Foreshore Licence application was submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It will be available to view on the Departments website in the coming weeks. Formal public consultation will commence once the Department make the application available to the public. A link to the relevant Department webpage will be posted on this website as soon as it is available.

26th June 2020 – Programme for government includes support for Offshore Wind Energy

The Programme for Government agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party negotiators on 15 June 2020 was ratified on Friday, 26 June 2020. This document acknowledges the role offshore energy will play in Irelands future, stating:

“We will also produce a longer-term plan setting out how, as a country, we will take advantage of the massive potential of offshore energy on the Atlantic Coast. This plan will set out how Ireland can become a major contributor to a pan-European renewable energy generation and transmission system, taking advantage of a potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power in our deeper waters in the Atlantic.

This plan will focus on utilising our existing energy and maritime infrastructure. It will seek to create the right investment environment, support ocean energy research, develop and demonstrate floating wind, tidal, and wave power, together developing innovative transmission and storage technologies, such as high-voltage, direct-current interconnection and green hydrogen on an all-island basis. This plan will set out a path to achieving 5GW capacity in offshore wind by 2030 off Ireland’s Eastern and Southern coasts.”