ESB and Irish-owned renewable energy company Harmony Solar have agreed a €30m partnership to develop ground-mounted solar projects in Ireland.
The new partnership has the potential to provide renewable electricity for approximately 230,000 homes, or over 10% of Irish households, by 2030.
The development pipeline of the partnership will see an initial capital investment of €30m, with further investment in the medium to long term as the pipeline comes to fruition.
Phase one of the deal will develop Harmony Solar's existing 300MW portfolio - mainly in Wexford and Kildare.
Further phases will see the development of a total portfolio of over 1,000MW of large-scale solar projects.
Solar energy is a key part of ESB's 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.
Renewable energy is predominately generated from onshore wind at the moment.
ESB said the partnership is in line with the Government's policy to introduce more diversity into the country's renewable energy portfolio, through the promotion of other technologies including solar.
It said today's deal will enhance the country's ability to reach future renewable energy targets and contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 360,000 tonnes per year when the development pipeline is fully operational.
Any site-based work in the coming months will be undertaken entirely in line with Government requirements around social distancing, the companies said.
