The Government has announced plans for a second auction for rights to generate offshore power.
The first auction took place earlier this year. It awarded licences to three projects off the east coast and one off the coast of Galway.
This new auction will focus on potential projects off the south coast.
The announcement was made by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD, at the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NESC) meeting in The Hague.
The ministerial meeting for nine member states, including Ireland, set out indicative auction timetables up to 2030 for projects in the seas to the west and north of Europe.
Ireland aims to build 20 gigawatts (GW) of offshore electricity generating capacity by 2040, with 5GW to be in place by 2030. The first auction secured projects with the capacity to generate 3GW of electricity, capable of powering 2.5million homes.
The indicative timetable for the next auction, ORESS (Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme) 2.1, begins in March 2024 with the publication of a map of the proposed areas where projects could locate.
Then follows a lengthy procedure to allow for geophysical surveys, technical work with Eirgrid and engagement with the Oireachtas, the public and industry.
It's planned that following a formal bid process, projects capable of generating up to 900megawatts (MW) of electricity will be granted licenses.
The timetable envisages that licenses will be awarded between February and October 2025.
