Ireland has the potential to add nearly 6 gigawatts (GW) of new onshore wind capacity, according to a new report commissioned by Wind Energy Ireland, which highlights the country’s ability to further reduce reliance on fossil fuels and stabilise electricity costs.
The report, Protecting Consumers: Our Onshore Wind Energy Opportunity, was conducted by planning and environmental consultancy MKO. It identified approximately 1,302 square kilometres of land—less than 2% of Ireland’s total area—as suitable for future onshore wind development, taking into account environmental, planning, and design constraints.
“Ireland has significant additional potential to harness our indigenous onshore wind energy resource,” said Brian Keville, managing director of MKO. “This analysis clearly demonstrates that a significant amount of onshore wind energy can be delivered in just two per cent of the country’s land mass.”
According to Wind Energy Ireland, the study represents the first objective, national-level assessment of land availability for future wind projects. It considers a broad range of exclusions, including protected areas, waterways, existing infrastructure, and the development pipeline attrition rate.
If fully developed, the additional capacity could help triple Ireland’s current onshore wind generation, assuming the country meets its 2030 target of 9GW under the Climate Action Plan. The industry group has called on the government to raise those ambitions to 11GW by 2035 and 15GW by 2040.
“We need to protect Irish electricity consumers and onshore wind energy is Ireland’s most affordable source of new electricity,” said Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland. “The more wind energy that we can develop, the less we rely on imported fossil fuels, and the better protected Irish families and businesses are from a volatile fossil fuel market.”
Cunniffe also called for further investment in electricity grid infrastructure, including key upgrades such as the North-South Interconnector. He said this would be essential to delivering affordable clean energy from wind farms to consumers across the country.
The report proposes five recommendations, including updated national guidelines, regional policy clarity, and enhanced planning system resourcing, as well as a national strategy for landscape sensitivity to wind development.
“This small area of land could provide an enormous amount of clean, affordable power,” Cunniffe said. “If we deliver on our full wind energy potential, we will build a prosperous, resilient, competitive future for Irish families and business. That’s a future worth investing in.”
