EirGrid to conduct marine and coastal surveys as it progresses offshore wind plans on Ireland’s south coast

EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland's electricity grid, will begin marine and coastal surveys in the coming weeks across Ireland’s south coast. 

The surveys will be conducted by Fugro, who were awarded a significant marine survey contract under EirGrid’s Offshore Marine Survey Framework. Following the successful application of EirGrid’s maritime usage licence from MARA, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, the surveys will commence in July 2025 and are expected to be completed by September 2025.  

These surveys will enable progress on EirGrid’s Powering Up Offshore - South Coast project, which aims to deliver the grid transmission infrastructure needed to connect 900 MW of offshore wind generation to onshore grid connection points along Ireland’s south coast.  

Fugro will perform comprehensive geophysical, geotechnical, environmental and metocean surveys within Maritime Area A, or Tonn Nua of the Irish Government’s South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP), as well as intertidal non-intrusive landfall investigations involving geophysical and environmental surveys.  

Some of the landfall surveys are on private lands, however surveys are also scheduled on public beaches at potential landfall locations. The beaches where non-intrusive surveys will take place are Ballycroneen and Ballycrenane in County Cork and Carnivan, Long Gap and Blackhall Beach in County Wexford. EirGrid are engaging with councils, local communities, and landowners in relation to these works.  

Ahead of the beginning of the survey works, Chief Transformation and Technology Officer at EirGrid Liam Ryan said: “These surveys are key for assessing seabed conditions, soil properties, and environmental impacts across the landfall, intertidal, nearshore, and offshore zones related to cable corridors for the project.

"The insights gained as a result of this work will play a key role in informing plans for the installation of the transmission infrastructure for offshore wind energy and will guide how EirGrid progress the project in a way that is best for our marine ecosystem and local communities."

Powering Up Offshore – South Coast is an integral part of the Irish Government’s climate action plan targets to expand Ireland’s renewable energy capacity to 80% renewable energy, including at least 5 GW of offshore wind energy.