Work has begun on a solar scheme in Co Meath, a Statkraft project that will help tech giant Microsoft to move towards its commitment to becoming carbon neutral.
The sod has been turned on Harlockstown Solar, a 34MW solar project that could power up to 9,000 homes. It is one of several projects that form a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) package with Microsoft to deliver 366MW of clean energy from six wind and solar farms.
Using CPPAs, companies can buy renewable electricity directly from a generator and bring additional green energy capacity to the grid.
‘No magic formula’
Donal O’Sullivan, vice-president for development and offshore with Statkraft Ireland, said projects such as Harlockstown would contribute to Ireland’s ambition of delivering 15 per cent of new renewable volumes via CPPA.
“There is no magic formula when it comes to climate action and meeting our 2030 targets. It will require a range of rapidly deployed technologies and solutions all working in harmony to decarbonise our electricity supply. For that reason, we are delighted today to be announcing the beginning of construction on Harlockstown Solar.”
Microsoft has already committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030. The company last year signed a series of renewable energy agreements that will add more than 900MW of wind and solar energy to Ireland’s energy grid.
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The multiyear contracts with Statkraft, Energia Group and Power Capital Renewable Energy will mean Microsoft contributes close to 30 per cent of Ireland’s corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) target by 2030. Under the Government’s climate action plan, 15 per cent of electricity demand is to be delivered from renewable energy CPPAs by 2030.
“The development of the solar energy project at Harlockstown is one of many projects that are coming on stream as a result of 900MWs of renewable energy contracts that we announced last year, which is a significant contribution to Ireland’s renewable energy corporate power purchase agreement target,” said Eoin Doherty, Microsoft’s cloud operations and innovation regional leader.
‘Sustainable future’
“As the country works towards achieving a more sustainable future, Microsoft will continue to partner with the energy sector and Government to accelerate the growth of renewables on the energy grid.”
Minister of State for Company Regulation Dara Calleary welcomed the move.
“This new solar project has capacity to power the equivalent of almost 9,000 homes — corporate PPAs [power purchase agreements] have a real role to play in supporting Ireland’s renewable energy and climate targets and I believe can be an important mechanism to support the wider system changes necessary in the electricity sector to deliver lasting benefits to households, businesses, and local communities,” he said.
