RWE is leading the way to a clean energy world. With its investment and growth strategy Growing Green, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide. RWE is already one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energy and is investing billions of euros in expanding its generation portfolio, in particular in offshore and onshore wind, solar energy and batteries. It is perfectly complemented by its global energy trading. RWE is decarbonising its business in accordance with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway. The company will phase out coal by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
RWE Renewables Ireland’s commitment to driving Ireland’s clean energy transition aligns perfectly with the values and objectives of Guaranteed Irish. As one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, RWE is investing in sustainable infrastructure, such as the Dublin Array offshore wind farm - that will help power Irish homes and businesses with locally generated, green electricity.
By becoming a member of Guaranteed Irish, RWE reinforces its dedication to supporting Irish communities, creating local employment opportunities, and contributing to the national economy in a responsible and future-focused way. Guaranteed Irish champions businesses that are proud to invest in Ireland’s people, resources, and reputation, principles that are at the heart of RWE’s approach to renewable development.
Together, RWE and Guaranteed Irish share a vision of a sustainable Ireland built on innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Membership strengthens RWE’s connection to Irish stakeholders and underscores its long-term commitment to ensuring Ireland’s energy independence and environmental stewardship, all while keeping investment and benefits local.
Supply Chain Challenges
There are several factors that create a challenging environment that must be overcome in order for developers to successfully build and operate offshore wind projects. Within RWE’s offshore business key supply chain challenges centre around supplier capacity, availability and capability risks.
In addition to these, wider operational challenges include:
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The planning and licensing process: The lengthy consent and judicial review periods, threaten to delay projects and climate targets.
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Grid capacity constraints and delays in grid upgrades: These pose a significant threat to the successful delivery of offshore wind in Ireland.
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Port infrastructure: A lack of port infrastructure for construction and marshalling activity. Significant investment, upgrades and capital are required to meet the ambitious target of 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, 20 GW by 2040, and a long-term target of at least 37 GW by 2050.
All the points above are further compounded by inflation, increasingly selective OEMs, high interest rates, geopolitical instability and a lack of centralised planning and policy aspects. If projects are not progressing due to the points above, then there will be a lack of supply chain opportunities in Ireland.
As a leading player in offshore wind worldwide, RWE is an active developer with significant in-house expertise. With 19 operational offshore wind farms, RWE has 2 decades of experience. In Ireland, RWE is actively engaging with: suppliers, skills bodies, supply chain cluster groups and networks, local and regional governments & enterprise and is heavily engaged in industry-wide activities to progress the future of offshore wind. Whilst there remain significant challenges, there are also many opportunities for new and innovative suppliers to come to the fore. These efforts and engagements help to ensure that industry is aligned and working together to achieve Ireland’s offshore wind targets, and that RWE as a responsible developer is:
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Uncovering capabilities and building better and broader relationships including amongst OEMs, SMEs, R&D/Innovation, skills bodies etc
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Increasing our awareness of local requirements, policies & processes – internally and externally, voicing supplier-related issues and needs
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Facilitating and participating in supplier engagement, increasing awareness of project timelines, our needs and requirements, highlighting the breadth & pipeline of opportunities and improving across and between-tier engagement
Policy & Infrastructure
Ireland’s planning system is thorough but slow and there is a strong need to gain the right balance between environmental protection and progress. Reforming and resourcing planning approvals properly would unlock faster, cleaner infrastructure delivery and improve investor confidence. This is essential for Ireland’s climate goals, economic growth, and energy security.
Innovation & Supply Chain
It is essential for Ireland to recognise where it can realistically excel in supply chain expertise and pursue growth in areas of existing strength and capability. Ireland possesses world-class expertise in topics such as: IT, Artificial Intelligence, data management, smart technologies, innovation, and healthy collaboration. All of these are fundamental to the successful delivery of offshore wind in Ireland and to supply chain growth more broadly. By focusing on these, Ireland can become world leaders and achieve significant domestic and global expansion.
RWE recognise suppliers are the backbone to our success and so have sought to maximise supplier engagement and opportunities, working in partnership with a skilled and diverse business. Three key areas of focus for RWE in terms of furthering the Irish supply chain in offshore wind are: Identifying strengths and realistic priorities, Blue Economy cluster development and outreach via RWEs Supplier Transparency Engagement Programme (STEP).
Being bold and Identifying (evidence-based) priorities is fundamental to success. A critical upfront action is therefore to take stock of current supply chain capabilities, assessing existing levels of expertise in key component or service areas of importance to Net Zero growth.
Clusters are a vital tool for facilitating timely development and engagement on the ground in the local communities where offshore wind opportunities are based. They provide an interface between developers, suppliers, infrastructure providers, innovators, skills bodies and a range of others to assist growth in new market regions. If implemented correctly, clusters can play a crucial role in ensuring the successful deployment of renewable technologies and help maximise the socio-economic benefits.
At RWE, our STEP Initiative allows us to take a more proactive, early and ongoing role in supplier engagement by facilitating open, transparent and more regular dialogue with the supply chain. We want to communicate our requirements, understand the barriers and challenges that suppliers face and build better and broader relationships.
Ireland's Energy Transition
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan sets a clear and ambitious pathway - 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. At RWE Renewables, we see ourselves as a committed partner in achieving these national goals through a diverse and growing portfolio of renewable energy projects.
In addition to the Dublin Array offshore wind farm, RWE is actively developing and operating onshore wind projects and battery storage facilities across Ireland. Together, these technologies are crucial to building a balanced, flexible, and resilient energy system - one that can deliver clean power reliably.
Our investments are not just about generating electricity; they’re about creating long-term value for Ireland - through local employment, supply chain opportunities, and close collaboration with local communities. By working hand in hand with Irish partners, we aim to ensure that the benefits of the energy transition are felt nationwide. Additionally, our Dublin Array project is committed to sharing the benefits of electricity generation though the delivery of a Community Benefit Fund worth up to €6.5 million per year. The decisions on how these funds will be spent will be made by a committee of local representatives who will be appointed by an independent fund administrator. To learn more, click here. We also hope to further expand our development portfolio in Ireland over time.
The broader wind energy sector - both onshore and offshore, will be central to Ireland’s decarbonisation journey. It will drive innovation, enhance energy security, and position Ireland as a leader in renewable generation and green technology. With continued policy support and streamlined planning, we believe Ireland can turn its natural wind resource into one of its greatest national assets.
Message to other Guaranteed Irish Members
RWE would be delighted to engage with Guaranteed Irish members across all industries and wishes to further expand our network, learning more about capabilities and solutions to our challenges. We are keen to further raise our profile in Ireland, provide updates on the work and opportunities that we have planned over the lifetime of the Dublin Array Offshore Wind farm and other projects and establish opportunities to collaborate.
RWE is the strategic sponsors of the Wind Energy Ireland Expo taking place in Dublin on the 22nd and 23rd October 2025. If you are planning on attending, you can find us at stand D03.
The Dublin array website is the best way to keep up to date on the project:
and please feel free to reach out to us via email:
Discover more about our members in the energy and utilities sector in our directory.
