Recently, a consortium formed by Danish wind power giant Ø rsted and Irish local energy company ESB stood out in Ireland's second offshore wind auction and successfully won the temporary development rights for the Tonn Nua 900MW offshore wind power project. This result not only marks a substantial breakthrough in the 50/50 partnership established by both parties in 2023, but also injects important impetus into the promotion of Ireland's "net zero emissions" goal and the transition to clean energy in Europe.

The project site is located in the Celtic Sea area near Watford County, Ireland, covering an area of 306 square kilometers. It is planned to construct a fixed underwater wind farm with a total installed capacity of 900MW. After completion, the annual power generation of the project can meet the electricity needs of nearly one million households, significantly increasing the proportion of clean energy supply in Ireland, and strengthening European energy security through regional power grid interconnection. In this bid, the consortium obtained a 20-year partially indexed contract for difference (CfD) with an executed price of 98.719 euros per megawatt hour, which is more competitive compared to the average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland in 2025 and has received high praise from the Irish Department of Climate, Energy and Environment for exceeding expectations.

As the first offshore wind power project to be auctioned under the designated maritime area planning (SC-DMAP) framework on the south coast of Ireland, Tonn Nua's competition is particularly fierce, with international energy companies such as EDF and RWE forming consortia to participate in the bidding. Woxu Energy, with its technological accumulation and global project experience in the entire offshore wind power industry chain, combined with ESB's deep familiarity with local market policies and grid access rules in Ireland, formed a complementary cooperation model and ultimately succeeded in breaking through. EirGrid, the Irish transmission system operator, will be responsible for the simultaneous construction of project transmission assets, including offshore and onshore substations, transmission cables and other supporting facilities. The first phase of marine and coastal survey work on the southern coast has been completed.

The current project is in the early development stage. The next step for the consortium is to apply for maritime area permits and marine use permits from the Irish Maritime Regional Authority, carry out preliminary work such as geological surveys and environmental assessments, and make the final investment decision around 2031. The first power supply will be achieved in the mid-2030s, and the power grid connection facilities are planned to be put into use in 2033. Alana K ü hne, the regional head of European development at Woxu Energy, stated that the project will play a key role in Ireland's future energy system, providing green, economical, and secure energy supply to the local area; Jim Dollard, Executive Director of ESB Power Generation and Trade, emphasized that this is an important step for Ireland's transition to renewable energy and will set a benchmark for regional energy development.

This winning bid not only consolidates Woxu Energy's leading position in the European offshore wind power market, but also provides a reference sample for Chinese enterprises to participate in international offshore wind power project cooperation. As the three SC-DMAP plots in Ireland gradually enter the market, the development of offshore wind power in Europe will enter an acceleration period, bringing more cooperation opportunities for global clean energy companies.Editorr/Bian Wenjun