The Government is considering changing proposed legislation to allow for offshore wind renewable energy facilities, being developed by the private sector, to be designated as critical infrastructure, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has said.
The Minister told the Oireachtas Select Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery on Wednesday that he had recently been asked by colleagues to examine the proposal.
He said while the issue was hypothetical, he wanted to flag the possibility with members of the committee.
Planned legislation would allow the Government to designate certain infrastructure projects or programmes as “critical”.
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On foot of such a designation, all public bodies involved at any stage in the authorisation process for this infrastructure would have to prioritise and accelerate these arrangements to the maximum extent possible, while still meeting their other statutory duties.
The planned legislation would also disapply parts of the existing Climate Act to the consideration by public bodies of designated projects or programmes.
However, the proposed legislation at present stipulates that the only projects that could be designated as critical infrastructure would be those funded by capital investment, by or on behalf of the State or by or on behalf of a public body.
Chambers said in light of the energy crisis he was considering whether offshore renewable electricity projects should also be eligible for designation.
“Such projects are developed and led by the private sector with State support offered through support schemes,” he said.
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The Minister told the committee that Ireland’s development of offshore wind projects had been significantly slow. Any expansion of the scope of critical infrastructure legislation to the private sector would apply only to offshore wind, he said.
“No other private sector infrastructure would be included,” he said.
Last week, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien told the Dáil that five east coast offshore wind projects, with planned capacity of 3.8 gigawatts, were in development.
The first planning determination is anticipated by the end of 2026, with projects anticipated to be operational by the early 2030s.
O’Brien said his department was also developing proposals for an auction of a site off the south coast.
“My Department is working with EirGrid to develop grid connection options and I will make a formal announcement in the coming months, but I expect the auction to take place in 2027,” he said.
