Irish utility Energia Group has announced the start of commercial operation for its 16th wind farm, the 49MW Drumlins Park.
The project is located near Newbliss in Co Monaghan and consists of eight wind turbines supplied by GE Renewable Energy.
Energia Group signed a corporate power purchase agreement with Microsoft for the project.
Drumlins Park wind farm is the first project to reach commercial operations under a strategic framework agreement signed between Energia Group and Microsoft in 2022.
The framework agreement will enable Energia to construct and operate a large portfolio of new onshore wind farms and solar projects in Ireland that will supply new renewable electricity to the national grid, in support of the Irish government’s climate action goals.
By achieving operations, Drumlins Park will support Microsoft’s goal to achieve 100% renewable energy supply globally by 2025.
Ian Thom, chief executive of Energia Group said: “This new wind farm is an important milestone for Energia Group, as well as for our collaboration with Microsoft, as it is the first wind farm to be delivered as part of our framework agreement.
“It is a further example of our commitment to powering Ireland’s energy transition, delivering new energy infrastructure to support the achievement of Ireland’s climate targets.
“I look forward to continuing our collaboration with Microsoft, unlocking substantial growth in our renewable generation portfolio and delivering clean electricity for the island of Ireland.”
Lavinia Morris, general manager for EMEA data centre operations, Microsoft added: “At Microsoft, we are committed to supporting the decarbonisation of energy grids in the markets where we operate.
“The commercial operation of the Drumlins Park wind farm is one of a number of projects coming online as a result of 900MWs of renewable energy projects that we announced in late 2022.
“This is another important step in our journey to transition to 100% renewable energy supply for all our data centres, buildings, and campuses around the world.
“As we seek to achieve a more sustainable future, Microsoft looks forward to continued collaboration with Energia to add net new clean energy capacity to Ireland’s energy grid.”
Drumlins Park wind farm will put in place a community benefit fund of approximately €270,000 per year, equivalent to €2 for every megawatt hour generated by the project.
The allocation of funds by way of annual grants will be administered by an independent third party and involve a locally appointed community committee, that will be established in the coming months.
The collaboration between Energia Group and Microsoft further demonstrates the important role partnerships can play in decarbonising the electricity grid and supporting Ireland’s energy transition, Energia said.