ESB and Ørsted have been provisionally awarded the development rights for a 900 MW offshore wind farm at the Tonn Nua site by Ireland’s Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment.
The two-way Contract for Difference (CfD) is set at a strike price of EUR 98.719 per MWh and will be partially indexed for 20 years from the commissioning of the wind farm, expected in the mid-2030s.
This contract supports the development of the 900 MW fixed-bottom offshore wind farm, designated under the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) by the Irish government as the sole bidding area for Ireland’s second offshore wind auction.
“Offshore wind is crucial for Ireland’s future energy system, providing green, affordable, and secure energy. We will work with our joint venture partner ESB to assess and progress this development opportunity while adhering to our value creation criteria,” stated Alana Kühne, Head of Region Europe Development at Ørsted.
The project, located off County Waterford, will next seek a Maritime Consent and Marine Usage License from the Irish Maritime Area Regulatory Authority to start surveys and assessments before submitting a planning application.
The final investment decision is anticipated around 2031, with initial power expected in the mid-2030s.
“ESB is delighted with the ORESS Tonn Nua auction outcome, securing a path for a significant project off County Waterford. This marks a step toward Ireland’s renewable energy and Net Zero ambitions, and we look forward to working with partners to deliver energy security and price certainty for Irish consumers,” said Jim Dollard, Executive Director for Generation & Trading at ESB.
EirGrid, the transmission system operator (TSO) of Ireland, is responsible for building the transmission assets, including offshore and onshore substations and export cables. The TSO completed the first phase of marine and coastal surveys along Ireland’s south coast.
The survey work is led by Fugro as part of EirGrid’s Powering Up Offshore – South Coast project and under the TSO’s Offshore Marine Survey Framework, with TechWorks Marine and Green Rebel as subcontractors for metocean and environmental surveys.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz