The Irish government has said that the country made ‘major progress’ in accelerating both onshore and offshore renewable energy last year, with onshore generation now accounting for more than 35% of Ireland’s electricity generation.
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien announced the publication of two taskforce reports outlining progress in the development of both onshore and offshore renewables, as well as outlining plans for the next phase of Ireland’s green energy transition.
Ireland achieved a milestone of more than 5 GW of installed wind capacity last year, which the country said marks a ‘significant step’ towards its target of achieving 80% of electricity demand from renewables. In terms of solar, 1.6 GW of solar PV has ben installed.
The country has set ambitious offshore renewable energy (ORE) targets, including the delivery of 20GW of ORE by 2040.
Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce
With this in mind, the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce (OWDT) outlined progress on the five Phase One offshore wind projects off Ireland’s east coast, which all submitted planning applications in 2024. In addition, Ireland’s government has approved the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP), which will see the first of four sites go to developer auction in November.
“Though there is more work needed to meet Ireland’s offshore wind ambitions, the achievements set out in the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce’s report are testament to what can be accomplished when agencies work together to deliver on an agreed, strategically aligned plan,” Minister O’Brien commented.
“The scale of the energy transition challenge is such that we will need ongoing engagement and collaboration between government, industry and citizens and civil society as we look to realise our renewable energy ambitions.”
Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce
Elsewhere, the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce, which reports on progress made onshore, announced the completion of the fourth Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction, the rollout of the second phase of the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, and the publication of the Electricity Storage Policy Framework, all measures aimed at advancing the sector’s development.
“The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce has played a crucial role in breaking down barriers to renewable energy deployment,” Minister O’Brien continued.
“This report reflects a year of coordinated action and momentum. Looking ahead to 2025/26, we are focused on removing the remaining bottlenecks in planning, grid, and delivery. We need all sectors – public, private and community – to work together to meet our energy and climate goals. Accelerating our renewable electricity generation not only reduces our direct emissions from electricity generation, but also acts as an enabler for decarbonising other sectors, including transport, heat and industry.” Read more here and here.
