The two companies behind the proposed Dublin Array offshore wind farm will submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in the coming days.

The project is a joint venture between RWE and Saorgus Energy, with the former leading development of the wind farm on behalf of the partnership.

Once fully constructed, the Dublin Array would be capable of generating 824MW of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of 770,000 Irish homes.

The Dublin Array wind farm project would be located 10km off the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow and have between 39 and 50 wind turbines. 

Subject to planning permission and a final investment decision, construction of the Dublin Array could commence as early as 2027, with operations projected to start in 2030.

Construction is expected to create 800 full-time jobs, with approximately 80 people directly employed and 160 indirectly employed by Dublin Array over the longer-term operational phase.

A community benefit fund worth up to €6.5m per year for 20 years has also been proposed, and the first payments would become available during the construction phase.

Decisions on how the funds can be spent would be made by a committee of local representatives who will be appointed by an independent fund administrator. 

“We have had extensive consultations and communications with stakeholders and local communities in recent years, this has been with the aim of keeping people informed about the project and to seek their views and inputs," said Vanessa O'Connell, Dublin Array project director for RWE Renewables Ireland.

"RWE has a strong track record of working closely with communities in areas where we operate offshore wind projects, and that will also be the case with Dublin Array.”

Paul Kelly, consents lead for RWE Renewables Ireland, added: “The submission of our planning application is a very significant milestone for Dublin Array and for the Irish renewable energy sector.

"RWE has been the lead developer on this project since 2019 whose work has involved extensive site surveying, scientific and engineering assessment, public and stakeholder consultation, all of which will enable us to deliver the most sustainable design for the project.”

The proposed location for the Dublin Array operational base would be in Dún Laoghaire Harbour, with a new facility being located on St. Michael’s Pier adjacent to the ferry terminal building.

RWE said that locating the operational base in Dún Laoghaire would generate an estimated €450m to €650m in regional expenditure over the lifetime of the wind farm.   

Some 27 employees currently work at RWE's office in Dún Laoghaire.

Dublin Array was granted a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) for the wind farm, a key requirement of the planning application, in late 2022.

The project was successful in Ireland’s first Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) auction in May 2023 and has a grid connection offer from EirGrid.   

The planning application for Dublin Array also includes the proposed construction of a new substation at Jamestown, which will connect the electricity generated by the wind farm to the national electricity transmission system at the existing substation in Carrickmines.  

The application will be submitted by Bray Offshore Wind Ltd and Kish Offshore Wind Ltd, special purpose vehicles created by RWE and Saorgus Energy for the joint venture.

RWE currently has four operational projects in Ireland, including a wind farm in Dromadda Beg in Co Kerry, two battery storage facilities in Co Dublin and Co Monaghan, and an Airborne Wind Test site in Co Mayo.

Photo: Vanessa O'Connell, project director for Dublin Array Offshore Wind Farm, RWE. (Pic: Peter Houlihan/Coalesce)