SSE Renewables has announced its intention to submit the first-ever planning application for the onshore grid infrastructure needed to connect an offshore wind farm to the country's national transmission grid.
The application marks a significant milestone on the road to starting the delivery of Ireland's offshore wind targets.
SSE Renewables will seeking planning permission to develop the onshore grid infrastructure necessary to connect the 520MW Phase 2 of Arklow Bank Wind Park to the electricity transmission grid here.
The proposed development includes a 220kV substation at Avoca River Business Park in Arklow in Co Wicklow.
It includes an associated transmission compound, connection compound and connection from the new substation to the existing national transmission network.
The plans also include an underground cable route connecting the proposed substation to the landfall point at Johnstown North, where it will meet the planned subsea offshore cables connecting to the wind farm.
SSE Renewables is developing Phase 2 of Arklow Bank Wind Park which will be located off the Co Wicklow coastline, to the east of Arklow.
The development, which builds on the existing GE-owned seven turbines that comprise the operational first phase of the wind park, is poised to become the country's first offshore wind farm of scale as it aims to be generating power by 2025.
It has the potential to reduce the country's annual carbon emissions by around 1%, offsetting over half a million tonnes of harmful CO2.
James O'Hara, Arklow Bank Project Manager at SSE Renewables, said the submission is the culmination of almost two years of work by members of its project team.
He said it is the first-ever application for onshore transmission grid infrastructure for an offshore wind farm in Ireland, marking yet another significant step forward in the delivery of the country's first offshore wind farm of scale.
"We’re ready to be generating new offshore wind power at Arklow Bank by 2025," Mr O'Hara said.
"This will not only kickstart delivery of Ireland’s offshore wind targets, helping hit our national 7% annual carbon reduction targets and bringing us a step closer to meeting our ambitious climate action targets, it will also drive local investment and create local jobs," he added.
