Ørsted has a total of 24 advanced or operational onshore wind and solar projects in Ireland, including two projects that were cleared in 2023 in RESS 3.
Commenting on the provisional results of the RESS 4 auction, TJ Hunter, Director Ireland & UK at Ørsted, said, “We are delighted to get approval for Ballinrea Solar Farm as part of the RESS4 auction and we look forward to taking the project towards commercial operation as early as 2026. Solar is the fastest growing energy technology in the world and is a key focus for us here in Ireland, along with onshore and offshore wind farm projects.
“The result increases our solar presence here, where this year also saw the commencement of construction on Garreenleen Solar Farm in Carlow, our first solar project to break ground in Ireland. These projects will help reduce and stabilize the cost of electricity for consumers and contribute to Ireland’s overall energy security and independence."
Speaking on the auction process TJ added, “Stable, iterative recurring auctions are a key feature of successful energy markets. RESS 3 was challenging as it lacked clarity on price and volume, however RESS 4 gave more transparency on the price cap if not volume, and clear terms and conditions for operators, so we welcome the Government’s progress on this.”
“Ørsted is committed to Ireland and has invested €700 million into the country thus far. We have ambitious plans to expand our footprint here through a mix of onshore, offshore and solar projects. Ireland is on the right track, but we still have challenges around planning and grid access to continue our expansion here and invest in technology that will help us reach our national and EU climate targets.”
Ørsted currently operates an onshore wind portfolio of 378 MW in Ireland, enough to power 246,000 homes. Ørsted also entered a partnership with the ESB in 2023 to jointly develop an Irish offshore wind portfolio and announced a partnership with Terra Solar to develop 400MW of solar energy.
