Statkraft Ireland has acquired five fully permitted solar projects from Lightsource bp, a global leader in the development and management of solar energy projects. The total capacity of the five projects is 275 MWdc. These acquisitions are the most recent in Statkraft Ireland’s series of renewable energy transactions since 2018. The solar project portfolio comprises of Blundelstown Solar Farm and Harristown Solar Farm, Meath, Ballymacadam Solar Farm, Tipperary, Loughteague Solar Farm, Laois and Monatooreen Solar Farm, Cork.
Statkraft had secured contracts for over 330 MW of renewable power including two wind projects (57 MW) and two solar projects (276 MWp) last month as part of Ireland’s first competitive auction under the Government’s new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS-1). Statkraft is presently focusing on developing a diverse portfolio of renewable energy including onshore wind energy, battery storage, solar energy, offshore wind energy and grid service solutions in Ireland. The present acquisitions have been funded exclusively from Statkraft’s own financial reserves.
“One of the projects which we have acquired from Lightsource, namely Blundelstown in Meath, was actually successful just last month, in RESS-1. The outcome of that particular auction was hugely encouraging and has given us at Statkraft, the platform we need to increase the rollout of green energy projects in Ireland thereby decarbonising the grid and playing our part in helping to meet critical Climate Change targets. We are already quite advanced in developing the construction programme to deliver these RESS-1 projects”, stated Kevin O’Donovan, Managing Director, Statkraft Ireland.