Renewables
Fugro finalises survey campaign for Irish offshore wind grid
Marine surveyor Fugro has completed its 2026 data collection campaign to support grid infrastructure for an Irish offshore wind project.
Key points
- Fugro completed nearly 70,000 hours of survey work across 2,337 kilometers of maritime area.
- The data supports transmission planning for the Tonn Nua wind farm led by EirGrid.
- A public consultation regarding connection routes remains open until December 8.
What happened
Marine survey firm Fugro concluded its 2026 data gathering operations for EirGrid, the Irish transmission system operator, according to Offshore Energy. The assignments formed part of the Powering Up Offshore - South Coast initiative, accumulating nearly 70,000 hours of operations across 2,337 kilometers of maritime territory. The accumulated insights will feed into engineering and environmental evaluations for potential offshore converter stations, subsea cable routes, and land-based grid tie-ins.
This latest phase follows an initial 2025 campaign where crews surveyed 3,770 kilometers of seabed over 40,000 man-hours. Fugro is executing these site studies under a seven-year agreement with EirGrid. Additionally, the contractor deployed eight seabed acoustic monitoring stations under a separate two-year contract to track marine mammals including dolphins, whales, and porpoises.
What comes next
Concurrently, EirGrid is progressing a twelve-week public consultation process regarding transmission paths for renewable electricity originating from the Tonn Nua maritime zone. Scheduled to run until December 8, this engagement solicits input from fisheries, local landowners, and coastal communities concerning potential landfall sites, substations, and onshore transmission paths within Wexford and Cork.
Ownership of the Tonn Nua development rests with a joint venture of ESB and Ørsted following its award during the country's second offshore wind auction in November 2025. While EirGrid handles the transmission assets, the developers anticipate reaching a final investment decision around 2031, with commercial generation targeted for the mid-2030s to supply power for roughly one million homes.
Why it matters
Large-scale renewable integration requires meticulous marine spatial planning and robust grid frameworks, lessons applicable to emerging energy markets across Africa. As nations in sub-Saharan Africa seek to harness offshore and coastal potential, structured frameworks for developer and transmission operator coordination remain vital. Ireland's methodical approach to stakeholder engagement and long-term transmission scheduling underscores the complex preparatory phases required before capital allocation reaches the construction stage.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Renewables are the fastest-growing part of the world’s energy system. The COP28 goal is to triple capacity by 2030, and solar mini-grids are the fastest route to power for millions of people without electricity.
37.2% of electricity in Ireland was renewable in 2021Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
