ESB, Bord na Móna Power Up Kildare with 108 MW Solar Farm

• Bord na Móna and ESB join forces to develop a 108-megawatt solar farm in Kildare, Ireland. Providing enough energy to power 25,000 homes, this is the first of four projects with a target of 500MW and furthers the government's commitment to solar energy.

The ESB and Bord na Móna have partnered to build a 108-megawatt solar farm in Kildare, Ireland. The project, contracted to French renewables company Voltalia, is expected to produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of 25,000 homes. This is the first of four projects between Bord na Móna and the ESB, with a target of collectively producing up to 500MW of solar energy from Bord na Móna lands. This marks the first major commercial scale solar farm being developed in this way in Ireland and furthers the government's commitment to solar energy, with the 2020 round of the State’s Renewable Energy Support Scheme guaranteeing pricing for dozens of solar farms.

What is the Impact of the ESB and Bord na Móna's 500MW Solar Farm?

• The 500MW solar farm will enable Ireland to reduce its carbon emissions and lower its dependence on fossil fuels as part of the government's goal of having 40% of electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.
• The solar farm is expected to make a significant contribution to Ireland’s energy security and increase the nation’s energy independence.
• The 500MW solar farm will stimulate economic growth by creating jobs in the renewable energy sector and increasing the demand for solar panel installation.
• The solar farm will help reduce energy bills as solar energy is a much more affordable energy source than traditional fossil fuels.
• The solar farm will also help to reduce air pollution as the energy produced from the facility is clean and does not emit any pollutants.