The locations of the long-awaited Government-selected sites suitable for the first round of wind farm development off the south coast have been revealed.

Minister for the Environment and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan revealed the locations in the draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), published on Friday.

The draft South Coast DMAP is part of a plan-led approach to ensure that offshore wind farms will only be located in areas off the south coast that are deemed environmentally suitable for such development.

Speaking at the offshore wind conference last week, Minister Ryan said that seas belong to the Irish people and how we develop them and use the resources must benefit the Irish people.

Locations

The four maritime areas proposed for offshore wind projects have been identified following a comprehensive environmental assessment process and an almost year-long engagement process with coastal communities and stakeholders, de-risking the DMAPs as much as possible, the Government said in a statement.

The draft South Coast DMAP proposes that a first offshore wind project with a capacity of approximately 900MW will take place in ‘Tonn Nua’, off the coast of Co Waterford, and will aim for deployment by 2030.

It further proposes that over the next decade further offshore wind projects will be developed in the areas of ‘Lí Ban’, also off the coast of Waterford, and ‘Manannán’ and ‘Danu’ – both off the south coast of Wexford.

South Coast DMAP is Ireland’s first-ever spatial plan for renewable energy. A six-week public consultation on the draft DMAP is now open.

Value

An independent economic analysis, published alongside the draft South Coast DMAP, highlights the potential economic benefits associated with the implementation of the plan, which could deliver inward investment of €4.4bn and an estimated 49,000 full-time equivalent years of employment to the Irish economy.

The analysis further highlights that more than 65% of inward investment and employment opportunities could be captured by the south coast region.