Energia buys NI wind farms, giving energy provider possible 53MW boost

Energy provider Energia believes it will be in a position to supply 600 megawatts (MW) of electricity from renewable sources to the grid now that it has bought consented wind farms in Northern Ireland to add 53MW to its mix.

The purchased wind farms include the 12-turbine wind farms at Long Mountain, Co Antrim, and in Clondermot, Co Derry.

The independent energy supplier Energia, via its Renewables division, is also in the final stages building its 9MW Hollyford wind farm in Co Tipperary. At this location, the three turbines have been built, at a cost of €18m to develop.

They will start exporting power shortly, the company has confirmed.

Energia expects they will have the scope to generate 9MW of power from wind – when the wind is blowing, of course.

Energia’s total investment in Hollyford and the recently acquired wind farms will be excess of €100m.

With respect to its acquisitions in Northern Ireland, Energia acquired the Long Mountain wind farm from European investment firm Platina Partners’ Mistral Energy I (ME I) fund.

Energia, together with the Irish Infrastructure Fund, opened the Crigshane and Churchill wind farms in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, last year.

Peter Baillie, managing director, Energia Renewables, confirmed Energia would now be able to supply more than 600MW of ‘cleaner’ electricity.  

_{Construction in progress of the Hollyford wind farm in Co Tipperary}

This portfolio will also get a 300MW boost once a number of wind-farm facilities that are in development go live, the company said.

Energia’s current wind-farm portfolio that’s in operation combines power from its wind farms, as well as from third-party wind farms contracted to Energia under power purchase agreements.

Energia claims it’s providing 25pc of Ireland’s wind power. Last year, Bailllie was aiming to have a total 840MW of contracted renewable power contracted by 2013.

Energia is a member of the Viridian Group and has offices in the cities of Dublin, Galway, Cork, Belfast, and Omagh, Co Tyrone.

_{Pia van der Feltz and Ghislaine Schreinemachers of Rabobank International with Ian Thom, group chief executive, Viridian, at the opening of the Crighshane and Church Hill wind farms in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, in October 2012}