The building of wind farms in Northern Ireland in 2016 contributed £56m to the economy, according to industry group NIRIG.
A total of 165MW was connected in the 12 months to December across the six counties, NIRIG chair Rachel Anderson said today at the association’s annual conference in Belfast.
Anderson said onshore wind is making a significant contribution to Northern Ireland and will continue to do so despite the political uncertainty as the country faces a snap election.
She said the “record breaking” year was a “testament” to the “tenacity” of the onshore wind industry.
In total, more than 1GW of renewable electricity is connected to the grid in Northern Ireland, the vast majority of which is wind.
In addition, Anderson said a further £23m is contributed to the local economy through the servicing of the onshore fleet.
Image: Carn Hill wind farm in Northern Ireland (Gaelectric)
