Statkraft, in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), has secured 500 MW in Ireland's first offshore wind auction. The partnership participated in the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS-1) launched by the Irish government and won the capacity to develop the North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind project off the east coast.
NISA was granted a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) last December along with six other offshore renewable energy projects. The NISA project, set to power about half a million Irish homes and businesses, is located off the coast of Dublin, Louth, and Meath counties.
The Vice President for Development and Offshore with Statkraft Ireland, Donal O'Sullivan, noted the auction's outcome as a significant achievement for the partnership. He added that the positive result puts Ireland on track for a decarbonized future. The Senior Vice President for Offshore Wind with Statkraft, David Flood, echoed Sullivan's remarks and added that Ireland's energy security and future climate rely on harnessing renewable energy resources.
Nischal Agarwal, Partner at CIP, also expressed satisfaction with the outcome and noted that the 20-year contract would provide a strong basis for developing the NISA project to achieve Ireland's 2030 renewable target.
Statkraft and CIP had announced a partnership in January to develop up to 2.2 GW of offshore wind off the Irish coast. The joint venture resulted in CIP acquiring a 50% stake in Statkraft's offshore wind portfolio in Ireland.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is a dedicated fund manager for renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind, managing ten funds and raising about €19 billion to date from over 140 institutional investors worldwide. Statkraft, on the other hand, is Europe's largest renewable energy generator and a leading company in hydropower production, wind power, solar power, and gas-fired power, and operates in 21 countries with over 5,300 employees.
