Orsted and ESB to work together on Irish offshore wind portfolio

DANISH multinational energy company Orsted, and ESB, Ireland’s leading utility, have agreed to work together to jointly develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio.

The deal, which Orsted says is the most ambitious partnership in Ireland to date, means that the company will have a 50% stake in a series of offshore wind projects off the Irish coast that have the potential to deliver up to 5 GW of renewable energy. The partnership also includes an agreement to explore opportunities from renewable hydrogen produced from the projects in the longer term.

The first of these offshore wind projects is expected to compete in the next Irish offshore wind auction, ORESS 2.1 – Ireland’s renewable electricity support scheme.

The auction will be completed by June 2023, and is key for expanding the country’s offshore wind capacity, and for delivering Ireland’s 2030 climate action plan.

Ireland’s government is aiming for 80% of the state’s electricity demand to be met by renewables by 2030, as the country looks to end its reliance on fossil fuel energy sources.

To reach this target, Ireland wants an offshore wind capacity of 7GW, 2 GW of which is earmarked for green hydrogen production, an onshore wind capacity of 9GW and a solar PV capacity of 8 GW, including 2.5 GW of non-new grid solar. By 2050, Ireland wants to bump up this capacity and have at least 37 GW of offshore wind. 

Jim Dollard, ESB executive director, generation & trading, welcomed the partnership, saying: “In recent years, ESB has amassed considerable expertise in offshore wind, partnering with leading energy companies in projects of scale and building a significant offshore footprint across Ireland and Great Britain. Offshore wind in Ireland will play a key part in the delivery of the ESB Strategy, Driven to Make A Difference – Net Zero by 2040 and the announcement of this partnership with Orsted is an important step in that journey.”