Bord na Móna has revealed Amazon Web Services as first business to join Eco Energy Park in a strategic collaboration that will see significant investment in the Midlands.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is to become the first business to join the Bord na Móna Eco Energy Park in the Midlands, subject to regulatory and planning consent.
Bord na Móna is investing significantly in this first Eco Energy Park to deliver wind and solar power, flexible generation to support grid resiliency when required, as well as developing new electricity grid connections.
“We are investing significantly in our Eco Energy Park offering in the Midlands, which will provide associated benefits for the area that will positively impact employment, the environment, infrastructure, communities, and local businesses”
The Eco Energy Park, claimed to be the first of its kind in Ireland, will allow Bord na Móna to support large-scale industrial growth and development in Ireland, enhancing the national grid.
The parks will co-locate large companies like AWS, with a range of renewable energy technologies, helping them to deliver low-carbon growth in their operations, whilst contributing to associated enterprise, community initiatives, local amenities, and the local natural environment.
The wind blows through it
Pictured (from left): Geoff Meagher, Chair, Bord na Móna; Neil Morris, Country Lead Ireland, Amazon Web Services; Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna; Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan, TD; Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy, EMEA, Amazon Web Services; and John Reilly, Head of Renewable Energy, Bord na Móna
The collaboration is set to create a pathway for AWS to develop data centres in the Midlands powered by wind and solar energy, in line with Government’s Principles for Sustainable Data Centre Development.
As part of this agreement, AWS will also invest in up to 800MW of new renewable energy projects in Ireland, with today’s announcement marking AWS’s first 105MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Bord na Móna for Derrinlough Wind Farm, located in Co Offaly.
This additional PPA will further support Amazon’s commitment to match all electricity powering of its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 – five years ahead of their original target of 2030.
“Transitioning to carbon-free energy sources is one of the most impactful ways to lower carbon emissions, and is part of our Climate Pledge commitment to reach net zero carbon across our operations by 2040,” said Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy, EMEA, Amazon Web Services.
“As part of our commitment to reach net-zero carbon, we’re on a path to match all of the electricity powering our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 — five years ahead of our original target of 2030.”
“This collaboration with Bord na Móna will help us to continue to decarbonise our operations whilst creating economic opportunities and supporting Ireland’s climate goals. We look forward to working closely with Bord na Móna to seek out opportunities to expand in the Midlands.”
This strategic collaboration between Bord na Móna and AWS has the potential to deliver wider economic benefits for the Midlands, with hundreds of construction jobs to be created during the construction phase alone, and a significant multi annual Community Benefit Fund to provide support to local projects and groups.
“As one of Ireland’s leading renewable energy providers we are committed to delivering innovative and sustainable ways for leading businesses across a range of sectors to decarbonise their operations,” said Bord na Móna CEO Tom Donnellan.
“We are investing significantly in our Eco Energy Park offering in the Midlands, which will provide associated benefits for the area that will positively impact employment, the environment, infrastructure, communities, and local businesses. We can co-locate these large companies with our renewable energy assets to offer a sustainable pathway to grid capacity that is backed up with Flexible Technology power as required.
Launched in 2021, Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park offering is transforming approximately 3,000ha across Bord na Móna’s landbank in the coming years, and will be designed to enhance Ireland’s security of energy supply, supporting the delivery of several of the State’s climate, renewable energy and enterprise objectives.
Each Park will generate sufficient renewable energy to power a number of sectors that play an important role in Ireland’s social and economic development, such as manufacturing, pharmaceutical, agrifood, ICT, transport, green hydrogen derived e-fuels and logistics.
Bord na Móna says its Eco Energy Parks will not only help these industries to pursue low-carbon growth of their operations but will also significantly contribute to and support associated enterprise, community initiatives, local amenities, and the local natural environment.
The economic importance of the development was emphasised by IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan. “We very much welcome the creation of Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Hub in the Midlands and this new collaboration with Amazon Web Services. Today’s announcement underlines the importance of such partnerships to enable shared ambition of growth, decarbonisation and innovation.”
The development for the Midlands was also welcomed by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, TD, who said: “The strategic collaboration announced between Bord na Móna and Amazon Web Services serves as an example for how energy providers and large energy users can work together to greatly reduce carbon emissions. Sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, agrifood and ICT all play an important role in Ireland’s economy and driving economic growth into the future.
“Projects like Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park will be crucial in making these sectors of our economy sustainable in the long term, by co-locating renewable energy generation assets with large energy users. This announcement marks an important step in decarbonising large energy users in Ireland and is going to play a key role in helping Ireland to meet its carbon reduction targets for 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
Main image at top: Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy, EMEA, Amazon Web Services; and Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna
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