MAJOR investment in renewable energy was announced last week at the official opening of the Energia Group’s new Irish headquarters in Blanchardstown.
The energy provider is to invest over €3 billion in Irish renewable energy technology through its Positive Energy programme that will create as many as 5,000 construction jobs as well as 200 new jobs directly within the Energia Group.
The focus of last week’s announcement was on the impact of Positive Energy nationally, but Energia Group will be very much making its mark in Dublin 15 over the coming months.
The group recently announced that it would process a minimum of 70,000 tonnes of organic waste annually from Panda Waste Management at its new bioenergy plant at Huntstown.
The plant has an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes of waste and the agreement is worth €50 million to Energia.
Located beside the company’s existing two major power stations at Huntstown, the bioenergy plant should be in operation by the end of 2019 and will generate a massive 4.8 Megawatts of electricity per hour.
The five-year Positive Energy investment programme will be implemented nationally across a range of major renewable energy projects including wind farms, solar power, hydrogen fuel generation and bio-energy facilities.
An Taoiseach and Dublin West TD, Leo Varadkar, said he was pleased the company has chosen Blanchardstown for its new headquarters.
“Energia Group is very welcome to Dublin West,” he said.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions means making big changes at Government, business, community and individual level.
“Under the Government’s Climate Action Plan, we want to increase the amount of energy produced from renewable sources from the 30 percent we produce today to 70 percent by 2030.
“The announcement of 200 new jobs shows how climate action can create the jobs of the future.”
Speaking at the opening of the offices in Blanchardstown, Energia Group CEO Ian Thom said it was a proud day and an important milestone for the company.
“To date we have invested over €1 billion in the Irish energy market, driving developments to meet the needs of a high performance economy and society, north and south,” he said.
“Our decision to invest over €3 billion in renewable technology and energy infrastructure in the coming years is a clear signal of our intent to build on our continuous commitment to Irish communities, the economy and the sustainability of Ireland’s energy supply while contributing decisively to decarbonisation and the protection of our domestic and global environment.”
Dr Gautam Bhandari, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of global infrastructure investment group I Squared Capital, which owns Energia Group, also spoke at the event.
“We are very pleased to support sustainable energy developments that underpin societal and economic progress and tackle global climate change,” he said.
“This substantial investment by Energia Group in Ireland will contribute to the clean and efficient production of renewable energy, the long-term security of a sustainable energy supply, as well as the economic competitiveness and the wellbeing of communities across the island.”
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Richard Bruton, who made last week’s announcement with Ian Thom, explained why decarbonising the electricity supply was crucial to the transition away from fossil fuels.
“The move to electric vehicles for example, will only be effective if the electricity being used has been generated from renewable sources,” he said.
“Energia's decision to build on its existing commitment and expand so significantly in Ireland shows the huge opportunity that is available to the sector in a decarbonised society.”