Preferred bidder for Tonn Nua Auction will be known by December 2025
The ORESS (Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme) Auction Timetable for Tonn Nua has been published by Eirgrid. The timetable outlines that submission closing date will be 20th Nov 2025 and that the preferred bidder will be known by 9th December 2025.
Tonn Nua will be the first offshore auction to be held within the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC DMAP). Along with the Tonn Nua auction site, the SC DMAP identifies four maritime areas off the south coast in which ORE development will take place over the next decade. All four maritime areas are located off the Cork, Waterford and Wexford coast. This approach offers further certainty to ORE developers – by ensuring that future ORE windfarm developments will be led by maritime spatial plans identified by Government and approved by the Oireachtas. It also protects the marine environment and supports citizens reliant on the sea.
Ireland has set out a strategy to deliver 20GW of offshore wind by 2040 and at least 37GW in total by 2050. Renewable energy projects represent a big economic opportunity for the South East region. The region can become a source of growing entrepreneurial companies offering innovative value propositions to the offshore wind sector both at home and overseas, as well as a high potential market for foreign direct investment (FDI) to complement our domestic capability.
With the publication of the ORESS Auction Timetable for Tonn Nua, Ireland is taking another significant step toward meeting its ambitious offshore renewable energy targets. The clear timeline—culminating in the announcement of the preferred bidder by 9th December 2025— brings clarity and predictability to developers while supporting a stable investment climate for renewable infrastructure.
