The ESB has entered into a multi-million euro partnership with an Irish-owned solar energy company to develop ground-mounted solar projects, with the aim of powering 10% of Irish homes.
The goal of the ESB and Harmony Solar is to deliver over 1,000MW of solar projects to power 230,000 homes by 2030, with an initial investment of €30 million.
The first phase of the plan is to develop Harmony Solar’s existing 300MW portfolio, primarily based in counties Wexford and Kildare.
The ESB said that solar energy is a “key part of [our] ‘Brighter Future’ strategy which seeks to shift electricity generation away from fossil fuels by developing renewable projects of scale, and in doing so, lead the transition to a low carbon energy future based on clean, reliable and affordable electricity”.
John McEneaney, the chairperson of Harmony Solar, said: “We are looking forward to working together [with the ESB] and we are confident that this partnership will further add to our ability to deliver solar power to even more Irish homes in the future.”
Jim Dollard, the executive director of ESB generation and trading, added: “We already have an established position in the solar market in Ireland, with both ground-mounted and rooftop solar projects under development.
This agreement with Harmony Solar represents another significant milestone, bolstering the company’s solar portfolio and our wider ambition in developing renewable electricity generation projects of scale.
A joint statement from the ESB and Harmony Solar said that the investment is in line with Government policy “to introduce more diversity into the country’s renewable energy portfolio, through the promotion of other technologies, including solar”.
“The agreement will enhance Ireland’s ability to reach future renewable energy targets and contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 360,000t per year when the development pipeline is fully operational,” according to that statement.
Its also stressed that any construction work in relation to the project would adhere to Government advice around social distancing.