The Irish renewable energy group, Gaelectric, opened a £20m wind farm at Carn Hill, Newtonabbey, County Antrim. It’s the first fully operational wind farm from Gaelectric. The proposal was approved by the Norther Executive’s Department of the Environment in 2010.  The ribbon was cut by Peter Robinson, the First Minister, and Martin McGuinness the Deputy First Minister:

Northern Ireland’s Carn Hill Wind Farm Facility Opened
The First and deputy First Ministers with Gaelectric officials. (© Presseye)
 Gaelectric say the Carn Hill wind facility will generate renewable power for around 8,000 homes. Gaelectric’s Patrick McClughan said:

“The Carn Hill windfarm development is the first of a number of renewable energy projects that Gaelectric is progressing in Northern Ireland. The official opening marks a major milestone for our business and further strengthens Gaelectric’s platform in the energy market.”

Alex Attwood is the Minister of the Environment on the Northern Ireland Executive and he welcomed the news:

 “Renewable energy is arguably our biggest economic opportunity. Wind farms are part of the story. Today’s event is positive proof of what can be achieved. We will need to scale up our ambition. We can do that while respecting the needs of residents, landowners and our wonderful heritage.”

The location of this wind farm can be seen coming into  and out of the city of Belfast – be it by car, boat and plane.  But rather than seeing this as a potential blight on the horizon for those living in the city, the consensus is that this is a symbol of a commitment to green energy and a source of pride.

The Carn Hill wind facility has the capacity to generate 13.8 MW site and consists of six wind turbines with a blade tip height of 99.5m.  They are Enercon E70 turbines. Thirty full time and part time jobs were created during the development and construction phase of the project. It is the first fully operational wind farm in Northern Ireland.

The First Minister Peter Robinson said:

“The Executive has placed the growth of a sustainable economy at the heart of its Programme for Government. We have set a target of 20% electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2015. Companies like Gaelectric have the capability to be at the forefront of the drive to develop energy storage technologies which will support the expansion of renewable power that we require.”

Martin McGuinness  said:

“It is very encouraging to see confidence and investment in an area that uses our natural resource as well as the skills and know-how of local people to deliver real economic benefits and jobs.The establishment of a local community fund as part of this project, which will eventually deliver £255,000 investment for the direct benefit of local people, demonstrates commitment to ensuring the community has a stake in developments in their area.”

Gaelectric has eight wind farm projects at various stages of development in Northern Ireland and five in the Irish Republic. Its technical office is based at Clarendon Quay in Belfast and its group headquarters is in Ringsend, Dublin. Gaelectric was established in 2004 and has its headquarters in Dublin, capital city of the Irish Republic.

 

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