Arklow Bank Wind Park 2
Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 is SSE's flagship offshore wind farm project in development in Ireland with a proposed installed capacity of 800MW.
Being developed in the Irish Sea off the coast of south Wicklow and north Wexford, Arklow Bank 2 could - if consented and approved for delivery - commence construction towards the end of the decade and begin exporting offshore wind energy to Ireland’s national grid by the early 2030s.
When fully operational, Arklow Bank 2 would play a crucial role in driving progress towards a cleaner, more affordable and more secure homegrown energy system for Ireland.
Arklow Bank 2 is the next phase of wind energy development at Arklow Bank. The 25MW Arklow Bank Phase 1 was co-developed by SSE and GE Vernova in 2003 and was the first and, to date, only offshore wind farm constructed and operated in Ireland. The seven turbine wind farm is now wholly-owned by GE Vernova under a sublease to SSE's foreshore lease at Arklow Bank.
In December 2022, SSE was awarded seabed rights for the current development at Arklow Bank when it was granted a Maritime Area Consent (MAC).
In June 2024, a Maritime Area Planning Application for Arklow Bank Wind Park 2’s offshore wind farm infrastructure was submitted by Sure Partners Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SSE Renewables, to An Coimisiún Pleanála. That planning application is currently being assessed by the statutory planning body. In April 2026, further information on the offshore planning consent application was submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála and a determination is anticipated by the end of the year.
The offshore infrastructure planning application is the third and remaining planning consent required for Arklow Bank 2. The project has already secured planning consent for a state-of-the-art operations and maintenance base at Arklow Harbour’s South Dock, out of which around 80 full-time employees would be based. Separate consent has also been secured for onshore cabling and a substation that would connect the offshore wind project to Ireland’s national electricity grid.
Final delivery of Arklow Bank 2 will be subject to the project securing its remaining planning consent, finalising details of a commercial route to market, and a final investment decision by SSE.
Latest updates
Additional information submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála
SSE has submitted significant additional information to An Coimisiún Pleanála on the offshore planning consent application for SSE’s flagship Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 project. This follows a Request for Further Information (RFI) from the planning authority received in April 2025. The additional information comprises an updated Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) and updated Natura Impact Statement (NIS) and includes design changes to the offshore wind farm. The design changes proposed include a reduction in the number of offshore wind turbines installed at Arklow Bank from 56 to 53 as well as infrastructure layout refinements.
The submission including updated Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and updated Natura Impact Statement (NIS) is available to view and download, along with additional documentation, at a dedicated website, www.arklowbank2offshoreplanning.ie. Observations from the public can be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála during an eight-week period commencing 3 June 2026 until 29 July 2026.
Latest updates
Offshore Planning Consent Application Submitted
The latest and most significant milestone in the delivery of SSE’s flagship Irish offshore wind farm project, Arklow Bank Wind Park 2, was achieved on June 6th 2024, with the submission of our project’s offshore planning consent application to Ireland’s planning authority, An Bord Pleanála. The application marks the culmination of almost seven years’ development work and is the final consent required to move the project onto construction stage.
The application, an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Natura Impact Statement along with other documents can be viewed at: www.arklowbank2offshoreplanning.ie
Latest updates
Socio Economic Report (November 2023)
We have announced preliminary data which outlines the significant socio-economic impact Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 is expected to have on the local region of Wicklow and Wexford, as well as the wider national benefits.
It details the potential economic benefit throughout the project’s lifetime, including the approximate 35-year operational phase, as well as expected employment and job creation throughout the project’s different phases of delivery and operation.
The full report will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála within our offshore planning application in early 2024.
Latest updates
Scoping Report Publication
The Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 Scoping Report has been published and is available to read by clicking below.
This report provides stakeholders with information on the proposed development and allows for stakeholder engagement on the key topics to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) e.g., baseline data sources and assessment methodologies.
Newsletter updates
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Click to subscribeGenerating opportunities
Arklow Bank 2 would create around 80 full-time, locally based jobs to support the operation of the new offshore wind farm.
These local jobs would be sustained over the lifespan of the wind farm and would be based out of a new state-of-the-art purpose-built Operations and Maintenance Facility at Arklow Harbour’s South Dock. This facility would include a sustainable education centre on its top floor with event space capacity for over 50 visitors.
During construction and operation, we would plan to support local businesses across South Wicklow and North Wexford, including companies in the supply chain in Wicklow Port and Arklow Harbour.
If consented and approved for delivery, SSE would provide an annual Community Benefit Fund for Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 from the point at which it enters commercial operation. The fund would be based on Arklow Bank 2's generation output and would be expected to deliver multimillion-euro community benefits to the region - supporting communities all along the coastline from Wicklow Town to Arklow and on to Courtown in North Wexford.
More than half a million euro in sponsorship
Our support for the community doesn’t wait until the wind farm commences operation, however.
Since 2020, SSE Renewables has provided awarded around €600,000 to almost 200 voluntary groups, sports clubs, charities and community organisations in south Wicklow and North Wexford through our Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 sponsorship fund. Click here to find out more and how to get involved.
Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 Infrastructure
- Between 47 – 56 wind turbines, each comprising a foundation, tower, nacelle and rotor assembly.
- One to two Offshore Substations Platforms (OSP) and foundation substructures.
- A network of inter-array cabling; and
- Two offshore export cables.
- Two underground electricity cables will connect from the landfall to the onshore substation
- A new 220kV onshore substation and connection to the transmission system to distribute the energy across Ireland.
- A new purpose-built maintenance base at Arklow Harbour's South Dock to facilitate service and maintenance operations
- Office, parking and warehousing facilities for around 80 full-time local staff operatives
- Marine infrastructure, including pontoons and berths for Crew
- Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs)
Find out more about each of the main project elements
Offshore infrastructure
Click to find out moreOnshore infrastructure
Click to find out moreOnshore Maintenance Facility
Click to find out moreFind out more
For project newsletters, information on our Sponsorship Fund and general information about the project, please click below:
Find out moreGet in touch
Contact us:
We have a dedicated external relations team available to support you with any query related to Arklow Bank Wind Park 2.
To contact our external relations team, please email: clo@sse.com
Sponsorship Fund:
For information on our development phase Sponsorship Fund please contact our external relations team by email: clo@sse.com
Write to us! If you would like to contact us via post, mark the envelope for the attention of Arklow Bank Wind Park 2, and send it to:
SSE Renewables,
South County Business Park,
Red Oak South,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18,
D18 W688.
^834,286 homes powered based on projected installed capacity, typical projected wind load factor of 50%, and typical annual consumption 4,200kWh. Quoted 826,944,000 kilos of carbon emissions abated based on projected annual MWh output and latest average CO2 Emissions (0.236g/kWh) in the All-Island Single Electricity Market, and published by the CRU in its Fuel Mix Disclosure and CO2 Emissions for 2020, October 2021.