Danish multinational energy company Ørsted has teamed up with Terra Solar to develop a 400 MW solar farm in Ireland that has the potential to power over 90,000 Irish homes.
Terra Solar is an Ireland-based solar energy development company helping the country develop renewable energy sources and increase energy independence.
Ørsted and Terra Solar’s latest partnership brings further momentum to Ørsted’s solar pipeline in Ireland, which now totals over 600 MW.
There are several potential routes to market for renewable electricity produced by solar farms, including future RESS auctions and corporate power purchase agreements.
“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,” said TJ Hunter, Senior Director, Development and Operations in UK and Ireland at Ørsted.
“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,” he added.
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 on Ireland island, generating enough electricity for more than 230,000 homes. Ørsted now has two Irish solar projects in development, and earlier this year, the company announced a partnership with ESB to develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio jointly.
Ørsted has more than 5.7 GW of onshore renewables in operation, under construction, or consented in the United States and Europe. Ørsted’s Irish headquarters are in Cork City and have over 100 employees.
The project portfolio is targeted to be completed by 2030 in line with the Irish Government’s 8 GW Climate Action Plan solar energy target.
