The provision of consultancy services to support the development of an environmental “Mitigation Rulebook” for renewable energy projects in the State.

Description

To assist in complying with the requirements of Article 15c of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) requires consultancy services to support the identification and collation of a suite of mitigation measures already deployed for renewable energy projects in Ireland. This will include reviewing existing renewable energy project permissions (from 2014 to present) and extracting, collating, and presenting common or “standard” mitigation measures identified in submitted Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (RIARs) and any related planning authority approvals, i.e. permission conditions specifically relating to mitigation. This information must be analysed, tabulated and common mitigation measures presented in a communicable format, relevant to the technology deployed, environmental factors and the receiving environment. This information will subsequently be used by DCEE, other competent authorities etc., to prepare the “mitigation rulebook”, forming part of the wider plan(s) to designated RAAs. Where appropriate, those measures should ensure compliance with requirements of directives relevant for environment and biodiversity protection, namely the Birds Directive (2009/147/EEC), Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Water Framework Directives (2000/60/EC). This work will enable the State to designate at least one RAA by the European Commission’s deadline of 21st February 2026.