Leading windfarmer kicked off 1.1billion investment on island

Energia - established as a competitive retail business of the Viridian Group plc in 1999 - is also one of the most significant contributors to the Republic of Ireland’s renewable targets.

But the firm kicked of a 1.1billion euro investment in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the past decade with a twenty turbine wind farm in County Londonderry.

The wind farm at Altahullion - about seven miles from Dungiven - was the biggest of its kind on the entire island when it opened in 2003.The farm produced an increase of 80 per cent in Northern Ireland's renewable energy generation capacity - 26 megawatts a year - enough to power 20,000 homes.

Celebrating a decade of renewable energy and gas energy production Energia pointed out that it all began in the foothills of the Sperrins.

Gary Ryan, Director of Sales and Marketing, Energia said: “We have consistently been one of the largest investors in the renewable sector.

“Following initial wind farm investments in 2003 in Derry, Energia invested a significant €650 million in 2006 to support the development of over 165 MW of wind farms throughout Ireland.

“We currently have over 220MW of operational windfarms, and a further 400 MW in development over the next 3 years.”

Marking 10 years here the firm said increased competition following Energia’s entry into the island’s electricity market in 2000 has saved businesses over 170 million euro.

Energia currently supplies 25 per cent of the business electricity market on an all-island basis with over 50,000 customers and the company’s turnover reached 1billion euro in 2009.