Dublin Array offshore wind farm is a 824 MW project proposed for the Kish and Bray Banks about 10 km off the coasts of Dublin and Wicklow. The project is now in its planning and permitting phase following the submission of its development application by developer, RWE earlier in 2025. The Ireland Round 1 offshore scheme wind project is being developed by RWE and Saorgus Energy. It already has a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) and a provisional Contract-for-Difference from the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) 1 auction. Ireland’s ORESS 2 Tonn Nua offshore wind farm also recently got its development rights awarded to an Ørsted JV.
RWE Moves Forward with 824 MW Dublin Array Offshore Wind Farm Planning Application
Reported February 27, 2025 – RWE has submitted a planning application for the 824 MW Dublin Array offshore wind farm located off the coast of Dublin and Wicklow. The documents were submitted on the 26th of February by Bray Offshore Wind Limited and Kish Offshore Wind Limited. Both the companies are special purpose vehicles created for the purpose of delivering the Dublin Array project. The offshore wind farm will now await planning permission and financial investment decision before 2027 when RWE expects to begin construction of the project. The company also stated that operations on the offshore wind farm could begin as early as 2030 if everything goes according to plan.
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Details on the Dublin Array offshore wind farm
Located 10 kilometers off the shores of Dublin and Wicklow counties. There are expected to be around 39 to 50 wind turbines. They will make up the total project capacity of up to 824 MW. Furthermore, the project could create over 800 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs during construction. During the operational phase, around 80 people may be directly employed and 160 indirectly employed. RWE is working with Saorgus Energy, an Irish renewable energy company and have formed a joint venture for the project.
Dublin Array Offshore Wind Farm Project Overview
Location: Coast of Dublin and Wicklow
Project capacity: 824 MW
Developers: RWE and Saorgus Energy
Construction start: 2027
Completion date: 2030
Turbines: 39-50 units
Homes powered: 770,000-840,000 households
Project Status: Planning application submitted. Maritime Area Consent (MAC) also already granted. The wind farm now waiting for full development consent and financial investment decision.
Community Benefit: Plans include a community benefit fund of up to €6.5 million per year.
Project Contract: Awarded a Contract-for-Difference (CfD) under ORESS-1 with initial provisional strike price was €86.05/MWh.
More on the Project
In addition to the Dublin Array offshore wind farm, there has been a proposal submitted to construct an operations and maintenance base (O&M). It will be located at St. Michael’s Pier in Dún Laoghaire. A Community Benefit Fund will also be established to invest between €450m to €650m each year in community initiatives and projects. In December 2022, a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) was also granted to Dublin Array, This was a key requirement for submitting the planning application.
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