Statkraft, the largest producer of renewable energy in Europe, said today it has surpassed the half a gigawatt mark of installed solar in Ireland after the energisation of its Clonfad and Irishtown solar projects.
Clonfad is a 174 megawatt (MW) solar project in Co Westmeath, while the Irishtown solar farm is a 32MW project on the outskirts of Dublin.
The energisation of both projects over recent weeks brings Statkraft's total installed solar capacity in Ireland to over 500MWs, or over half a gigawatt.
This represents just over 40% of the total installed utility-scale solar in Ireland, which stands at about 1,300MW today.
Kevin O'Donovan, Statkraft Ireland MD, said that Statkrafthas been developing and building renewable energy at pace since it came to Ireland.
"This represents a positive step in a very turbulent time. With the current geopolitical challenges, we are seeing an ever-increasing need to deliver renewables to ensure safe and secure, domestic energy supplies," he said.
Ronan Power, CEO of Solar Ireland, said the milestone shows the scale at which solar is now being delivered in Ireland.
"Large projects like Clonfad and Irishtown are helping bring more clean, home-grown electricity onto the grid at a time when energy security and affordability are key priorities," Ronan Power said.
"To maintain this momentum, it will be important that policy, grid investment, and planning frameworks continue to support the rapid deployment of solar and other renewables across the country," he added.
