Environmental

Dublin Array’s Environmental Benefits
The Dublin Array project will help Ireland decarbonise its electricity supply and meet our climate goals of 80% RES-E by 2030, as well as continuing to help Ireland decarbonise for the lifetime of the project (30+ years). Dublin Array will offset up to 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes of CO² per annum and will supply enough clean green electricity to supply the equivalent of up to 770,000 average Irish homes.

Climate Change: A National Emergency
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan sets out a pathway towards “a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy” by no later than 2050. Achieving this objective will require a significant expansion of renewable energy generation, including offshore wind, to reduce emissions and support the transition away from fossil fuels

Ireland is having increasing numbers of weather events caused by climate change, with coastal areas being particularly impacted. There have been an increasing number of climate events that have affected Ireland in the last 34 years (see below) which demonstrates a clear emerging trend.

Figure: Timeline of Major Climatic Events 
Source: Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Climate Change Action Plan 2019-2024
Fluvial (River) Flooding: Occurs when rivers and streams break their banks and water flows out onto the adjacent low-lying areas (the natural floodplains). 
Pluvial (Rainfall) Flooding: Occurs when the amount of rainfall exceeds the capacity of urban storm water drainage systems or the ground to absorb it.

Ireland’s population is expected to continue growing significantly over the coming decades. Government planning frameworks anticipate that the country’s population could increase by approximately one million people by 2040, driving increased demand for housing, transport, public services and electricity (Project Ireland 2040, gov.ie)

There is also an increasing number of businesses, including a growing number of pharmaceuticals and technology companies requiring large amounts of energy.

All of this is creating a large and growing demand for electricity.

Despite this huge demand for electricity, there is currently no renewable electricity supply of scale produced in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).

National Climate Action

Ireland has established a legally binding framework for climate action through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The Act commits Ireland to pursuing the transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy by no later than 2050, supported by a system of carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings.

The Government’s Climate Action Plan sets out the roadmap to achieving these objectives, including a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 (compared with 2018 levels) and to generate 80% of Ireland’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. These targets are central to Ireland’s efforts to tackle climate change, strengthen energy security and transition to a sustainable energy future.

Offshore wind energy is expected to play a critical role in delivering Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions. The Government has set a target of delivering at least 5GW of offshore wind generation by 2030, helping to decarbonise the electricity system, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Dublin Array will contribute to these national objectives by generating renewable electricity close to one of Ireland’s largest centres of energy demand. By increasing the supply of clean, domestically generated electricity, the project will support Ireland’s climate commitments, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more secure and sustainable energy future.