A planning application is expected to be lodged by SSE Airtricity this week for an offshore wind farm which could power up to 850,000 homes a year.

SSE Airtricity intends to seek approval from An Bord Pleanála for its Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 off the coast of Wicklow.

The project would see the installation of 56 turbines creating a wind farm with an output of up to 800MW.

SSE has said that the project will support some 2,300 direct and indirect jobs throughout its lifespan from construction, operations, and eventual decommissioning.

Of those, 2,110 jobs will be supported in the construction of the wind farm, around 130 steady jobs supported during its operational lifespan, and another 60 in its decommissioning.

The development is expected to create €773 million worth of economic value for Ireland, with €19 million per annum during its operations.

A Maritime Area Consent (MAC) which grants seabed rights was granted for the project back in December 2022.

If planning permission is granted and the investment is approved, construction of the wind farm is expected to commence in 2026, with the first power being generated by 2029.

“Our team of over 50 renewable energy professionals, supported by a dedicated local supply chain, has been working hard to deliver SSE’s flagship Irish offshore wind farm – Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 – for almost seven years,” said James O’Hara, Arklow Bank Project Director at SSE Renewables.

“In doing so, we’re fulfilling the pioneering vision of delivering commercial scale offshore wind at Arklow Bank which dates back almost 20 years to when the first seven turbines were installed at the site and became Ireland’s first and only operational offshore windfarm.”

The wind farm would be maintained from an onshore port facility at Arklow Harbour’s South Dock, with offices, parking, and warehousing for staff as well as dock facilities for Crew Transfer Vessels.