Result of State's second offshore wind auction announced with ESB & Orsted providing winning bid.

The Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has today welcomed the provisional results of the State's second offshore wind auction under the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS). The extremely positive results mark another milestone moment in Ireland's offshore renewable energy (ORE) ambitions, showing a vote of confidence internationally in Ireland's ORE potential.

The winning applicant is Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC, a joint venture partnership between ESB and Denmark-based renewable energy developer Ørsted. ESB is involved in two major offshore wind energy projects in Scotland. Ørsted operate offshore wind farms in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Taiwan, the US, and the UK. In June 2023, ESB and Ørsted announced a 50/50 partnership to develop a pipeline of offshore wind development projects off the Irish coast.

The Tonn Nua auction process invited renewable energy project developers to compete against each other, by bidding as low as possible, in order to win a contract to provide renewable electricity for a 20-year period. The result of the hugely competitive auction has surpassed expectation, with a renewable energy price secured of €98.719 per megawatt hour (MWh). This price compares very favourably to recent offshore energy auctions in other jurisdictions and the price secured in Ireland's recent onshore RESS 5 auction. For comparison, the average wholesale electricity price in Ireland to date in 2025 is €114/MWh.

The Tonn Nua auction was the first to be held for a site within the State's first spatial plan for ORE development – the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP). The Tonn Nua site (meaning 'New Wave') is located off the Waterford coast. It will procure 900 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, enough to power almost 1 million homes. It will save 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year after its construction, making a sizable contribution to Ireland's wider climate and renewable electricity targets. Tonn Nua is one of four maritime sites within the SC-DMAP identified for future offshore wind development.

The SC-DMAP was approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024 following a comprehensive environmental assessment process, and an almost year-long engagement process with coastal communities and key stakeholders, including fishers, environmental NGOs and local authorities. An independent analysis has highlighted that implementing the SC-DMAP will deliver considerable economic benefits and employment opportunities.

Welcoming the results, Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, said:

"The provisional results of the Tonn Nua auction mark an important milestone in the State's offshore renewable energy ambitions. The highly competitive price secured represents positive news for Irish energy consumers and our nation, bringing us closer to overcoming the challenges of energy security and affordability, and towards achieving energy independence. It's also a positive reflection of Ireland that we, as a country, can develop and produce enormous quantities of clean energy. It's a clear sign that international companies are confident in Ireland's ambition and infrastructure. Ireland has enormous offshore wind potential – not only to deliver cleaner and more secure energy to our homes and businesses, it has the potential to deliver tens of thousands of new green jobs for many communities across the State. The deployment of offshore renewable energy will also importantly ensure that Ireland continues to play our part in addressing the climate change emergency."

Minister of State with special responsibility for the Marine Timmy Dooley said:

"Ireland is already a wind energy success story. Today's announcement is the next chapter in that story, and an exemplar project as we move towards a national DMAP for offshore renewable energy. This is a key milestone in delivering a clear and sustainable framework for developing offshore renewable energy, balancing economic growth, environmental protection and community engagement to support Ireland's transition to a low-carbon future."

The Tonn Nua results announced today are provisional and are subject to the normal RESS confirmation processes. Final auction results will be announced on 9 December.

More information available on the Government of Ireland website.