Danish energy company Ørsted has teamed up with Dublin-based renewable energy developer Terra Solar to develop a portfolio of up to 400MW of solar projects in Ireland.
The solar projects, anticipated to be completed before 2030, will produce adequate renewable electricity to power more than 90,000 Irish homes.
The completion is subject to grid route consent and a grid offer and is in line with the Irish government’s 8GW Climate Action Plan solar energy target.
Ørsted may market the renewable electricity produced by the wind farms through several potential routes, including future RESS auctions and corporate power purchase agreements.
Ørsted UK and Ireland development and operations senior director TJ Hunter 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 17.5GW of onshore renewables by 2030.
“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.”
The announcement follows Ørsted’s entry into the UK solar market, with the development of a 740MW solar farm and associated battery storage in Nottinghamshire, announced last week.
Ørsted said that the partnership with Terra Solar will further support its solar pipeline in the country, which now totals more than 600MW.
The Danish company currently operates 378MW of onshore wind across Ireland, producing adequate power for more than 230,000 homes.
Ørsted has two Irish solar projects in development and has announced a partnership with ESB to jointly develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio, earlier this year.
Terra Solar director André Fernon 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 400MW, 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.”
