Wind industry welcomes new national offshore wind map

The Irish wind energy industry has welcomed the announcement today by Minister Darragh O’Brien that work has started on a new national map to identify locations where future wind farms can be developed.

The national Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for offshore wind will be developed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and will involve extensive data-gathering and public consultation. It is due to be completed by the end of 2027.

Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “Industry will welcome the certainty and the ambition the Government is providing with this new approach.

“It will take time, and we will do everything we can to help speed things up, but once complete this will provide enough sites to accelerate the development of offshore renewable energy and to put Ireland firmly at the heart of Europe’s response to the energy and climate crises.”

Wind Energy Ireland stressed the need for the Government to ensure the funding is available to deliver the map by the end of 2027 and said this needed to be a priority for Budget 2026 later this year.

Noel Cunniffe continued: “This won’t be done by the end of 2027 if the resources, the personnel and the expertise isn’t in place to ensure we hit that target.

“The offshore wind industry has struggled with missed deadlines in the past and we can’t afford more slippages. We would urge the Government, when planning for the budget later this year, to ensure that the funds the department will require to develop this map are in place early and are enough to do the job properly.”