Ørsted acquires second Irish solar farm with 160MW generation capacity

Danish power company Ørsted has completed the acquisition of a 160MW solar farm, developed by renewable energy developer Terra Solar, in south-east Ireland.

The project, which is Ørsted’s second solar farm in Ireland, will be developed in two phases and be situated 15km outside the town of Carlow. Subject to the final investment decision, phase one will see 81MW delivered in 2025 with phase two expected to deliver an additional 79MW in 2026.

The new solar project adds to Ørsted’s growing portfolio within the Ireland, which currently consists of 360MW of operational onshore wind. The company’s first solar farm in Ireland, dubbed Ballinrea, was also acquired from Terra Solar and is situated in Ireland’s second-largest city – Cork.

The 65MW Ballinrea solar PV project is set to become operational in 2025. Once both solar projects are operational, they will contribute to Ørsted onshore’s ambition to grow its global portfolio to a ~50:50 wind and solar PV capacity mix towards 2030.

“Ørsted is committed to multi-technology deployment, investing in a variety of renewable energy sources to ensure reliability and independence of supply. Once completed, the two phases for this solar project will have a combined capacity of 160 MW, making it one of the most significant solar farms in the country,” said TJ Hunter, senior director for Onshore Ireland and UK in Ørsted.

“It’s critical, however, that government targets are supported by robust investments in grid infrastructure capacity, predictable grid connection timelines, planning timelines, and market structures that can deliver. The industry is primed to invest and deliver energy resilience at pace, and it’s essential that the infrastructure and processes are there to support it, or we’re racing towards a roadblock.”