EirGrid develops, manages, and operates Ireland’s electricity grid. We are responsible for the safe, secure and reliable supply of Ireland’s electricity. Our job is to bring power from where it is generated to where it is needed throughout Ireland, onshore and offshore.

EirGrid is also leading the secure transition of the electricity grid to a sustainable low-carbon future.

While EirGrid is not responsible for generating electricity or building windfarms, we are responsible for connecting electricity generation infrastructure, such as offshore and onshore windfarms, into our national electricity grid.

The Government of Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023 places offshore wind power at the centre of the state’s commitment to producing up to 80% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030.

As part of Shaping Our Offshore Energy Future, EirGrid plans to develop offshore electricity substations and associated undersea electricity cables. This new infrastructure will bring the power generated by offshore windfarms into our national electricity grid.

 

To achieve this we will need to develop:

• An offshore substation off the coast of Waterford or Wexford.
• An offshore substation off the coast of Cork.
• A connection between the offshore substations and existing substations onshore. This will involve undersea and underground electricity cables.
• New substations near to existing substations onshore.

 

This will help deliver up to 900 megawatts of additional electricity - enough to power almost one million homes with clean energy. This new electricity will be generated by offshore wind farms in Irish waters.

Read our brochure to see the most up to date information on this project, Shaping Our Offshore Energy Future- April 2023

Our next Roadshow will take place on the 21st of June in the Carrigaline Court Hotel, Cork from 6.30pm to 8.30pm followed by our second event in The Tower Hotel, Waterford on 22nd June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

May 2023

We have now lodged two foreshore licence applications in the Cork and Waterford/Wexford areas with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Department will upload details of the applications to their website in due course.

The licences seek approval for EirGrid to carry out site investigations including marine environmental surveys within the identified offshore study areas.

These studies will help inform appropriate locations for the necessary offshore infrastructure that we have identified:

• An offshore substation off the coast of Waterford or Wexford.

• An offshore substation off the coast of Cork.

• A connection between the offshore substations and existing substations onshore. This will involve undersea and underground electricity cables.

Details of the licence applications may be viewed on the Departments website once they are uploaded (gov.ie - Foreshore applications (www.gov.ie)).

 

April 2023

We are now starting the rollout of our offshore engagement plan across coastal communities in Cork, Waterford and south Wexford. This involves raising awareness of our plans, engaging with stakeholders and aiming for public consultation in the autumn of 2023.

No decisions have been made on where the offshore substations will be located or how and where they will connect to the national electricity grid onshore. We are currently undertaking studies to determine what options are available and we will share these when they are complete in the autumn of 2023. Extensive consultation and engagement will take place. Your input, along with our studies, will guide decisions made on what options to proceed with.

Currently, we are also applying for marine licences to undertake marine surveys to help inform decisions in relation to this programme.

We will be engaging with all impacted marine stakeholders as we embark on this phase of our programme of works and will continue to do so as we progress.

Offshore study area

The offshore study area is the marine area where we are undertaking initial assessments and studies in relation to the electricity infrastructure required for Shaping Our Offshore Energy Future. Given the nature of the programme, we have identified relatively large study areas. These will be narrowed down as this programme progresses and following stakeholder feedback.

 

Cork Offshore Study Area

The offshore study area here extends from Ringroe (near O’Rahilly View) to Youghal and extends out towards to the 12 nautical mile (NM) boundary (around 22 kilometres from shore).

Waterford and Wexford Offshore Study Area

The offshore study area here extends from Ballinacourty and Clonea in Co. Waterford to Cullenstown Beach in Co. Wexford and extends out towards to the 12 nautical mile (NM) boundary (around 22 kilometres from shore).

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs) within the offshore study areas

The identified study areas include a number of ecologically and environmentally sensitive areas, including Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs); these are prevalent along the Irish coastline, estuaries and foreshore areas of Cork, Waterford and Wexford. EirGrid is aware of these areas, and is committed to their ongoing protection in the development of necessary offshore grid infrastructure. This will primarily occur by avoiding these environmentally sensitive areas in the routing and siting of projects, and where avoidance is not possible, by ensuring that all site investigations and subsequent construction works are carried out in accordance with best practice for environmental protection and enhancement.

Visit one of our face-to-face public information events being held across the study area to find out more and speak to experts within the team.
 

Venue	Date	Time
The Park Hotel, Dungarvan	6 June 2023	12pm to 8pm
Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe, Co. Cork	7 June 2023	12pm to 8pm
St Mary’s Community Hall, Fethard, Co. Wexford	12 June 2023	12pm to 8pm
Walter Raleigh Hotel in Youghal, Co. Cork	14 June 2023	12pm to 8pm
The Majestic Hotel, Tramore, Co. Waterford	15 June 2023	12pm to 8pm
Cobh Community Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork	20 June 2023	12pm to 8pm

Join EirGrid, and our panel of experts at our upcoming Offshore Energy Citizen Roadshows where you will discover more about:

• the future of the electricity grid,
• microgeneration such as selling your excess solar panel electricity back to the grid,
• sustainable energy communities, home energy upgrades, and
• the regional development opportunities associated with the energy transition.

Attendance is open to all, a registration form will be available here shortly, in the meantime you can express your interest in attending by email to southcoastoffshore@eirgrid.ie
 

Venue	Date	Time
Carrigaline Court Hotel, Carrigaline, Co. Cork	21 June 2023	6.30pm to 8.30pm
The Tower Hotel, Waterford	22 June 2023	6.30pm to 8.30pm

Email: southcoastoffshore@EirGrid.ie

Contact our Community Liaison Officer:

As part of EirGrid’s public engagement strategy for a cleaner energy future and to fulfil our commitment to putting citizens at the heart of our decision making, we establish a community forum with all of our infrastructural projects to ensure communities are heard and supported at every step of the journey.

We know that there will be considerable interest in this offshore grid infrastructure programme. With this in mind, we are setting up a South Coast Offshore Community Forum to communicate, consult and engage with local residents and businesses across the region. Depending on the level of interest, we will discuss with communities the merits of setting up a forum in multiple areas.

If your organisation is interested in getting involved in this forum, please email southcoastoffshore@eirgrid.ie.

To help maximise economic and social opportunities in relation to the development of this new infrastructure, we will be coordinating with other state bodies, local authorities, education institutions, business representatives and community development organisations through a new South Coast Offshore Infrastructure Forum. This forum will be independently chaired.