The Irish Government has launched the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA), a new state agency, to oversee the country’s maritime area including offshore energy projects.
The regulatory body will be responsible for assessing applications for maritime area consents, which are needed before offshore wind and other project developers can make planning applications.
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It will also grant licences for certain activities in the maritime area.
The establishment of MARA represents the beginning of the second phase of the country’s approach to renewable offshore energy, and will determine how this resource is developed.
MARA CEO Laura Brien stated: “Ireland has one of the highest sea-to-land ratios in Europe and today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in how Ireland will manage that resource. MARA’s remit is wide-ranging, reflecting the diverse marine resource that we will steward for this generation and the ones to come.
“MARA is confident in our ability to support the governance of our maritime resources. In achieving this, we look forward to working with the wide range of stakeholders in the seafood, tourism, transportation [and] offshore renewable energy sectors to deliver on our role.”
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By GlobalDataThe government had previously launched the first designated maritime area plan (DMAP) proposal for offshore renewable energy, marking Ireland’s first step towards a “systemic, plan-led development” of its offshore wind prospects.
DMAPs will help determine the areas in which offshore wind projects can be built and will provide management planning for specific areas of the country’s marine waters.
MARA’s establishment will pave the way for a national industrial strategy for offshore wind. The strategy will set out how the country can maximise economic opportunity from offshore wind generation.
It will be developed in consultation with relevant government departments, agencies and industry to ensure that the country can bring in offshore wind energy at scale.
The strategy is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2024 and will support forthcoming government policies.
