LONDON, UK: Ørsted, a global leader in renewable energy, has announced a partnership with Terra Solar, a Dublin-based renewable energy developer, to develop a portfolio of solar projects in Ireland with a capacity of up to 400 MW.
The projects are expected to power over 90,000 Irish homes and contribute to the country’s 8 GW solar energy target by 2030.
The partnership builds on Ørsted’s existing collaboration with Terra Solar and expands its solar pipeline in Ireland to over 600 MW. The projects are subject to grid route consent and a grid offer, and have various potential routes to market, including future RESS auctions and corporate power purchase agreements.
The announcement comes just a week after Ørsted entered the UK solar market with the development of a proposed 740 MW solar farm and associated battery storage in Nottinghamshire.
TJ Hunter, Senior Director, Development & Operations in UK & Ireland at Ørsted, said: “We are delighted to extend our existing collaboration with Terra Solar on the development of these projects which will contribute to Ørsted’s global goal of 17.5 GW of onshore renewables by 2030.”
He added: “Solar energy is an essential component for enabling the Irish power system to run entirely on green energy. Ireland has seen several amber alerts on warm summer days with low wind speeds, the cost of electricity is too high due to over-reliance on fossil fuels, and the carbon intensity of Ireland’s electricity is among the highest in Europe. To solve these issues and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, we need to grow solar energy in parallel with onshore wind, offshore wind, and energy storage.”
André Fernon, Director at Terra Solar, said: “Terra Solar is delighted to be working in partnership with Ørsted on the development of the solar projects announced today. With a combined capacity of up to 400 MW, this partnership will contribute significantly to Ireland’s low-carbon future, strengthen our indigenous energy supply, and ensure competitively priced green electricity for Irish consumers.”
Ørsted currently operates 378 MW of onshore wind across the island of Ireland, producing enough power for over 230,000 homes. Ørsted currently has two Irish solar projects in development, and earlier this year, the company announced a partnership with ESB to jointly develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio.
Ørsted is ranked as one of the world’s most sustainable energy companies and has over 5.7 GW of onshore renewables in operation, under construction or consented across the United States and Europe. Ørsted’s Irish headquarters are based in Cork City, where it employs over 100 people.
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