Norwegian energy company Statkraft has opened new offices in Cork in Ireland as part of its commitment to spend over €1bn in the Irish renewables sector.
The offices, which were opened by Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney, employ a staff of 45.
Statkraft Ireland chief executive Kevin O’Donovan said: “Statkraft Ireland is on a significant growth path and intends to treble its current onshore wind output consisting of 130MW of permitted projects.
“Projects with a capacity of 150MW are already in the planning stage and a further 150MW soon to enter the planning process.
“This is in addition to some very significant solar developments and a €1bn project in the Irish Sea that will have a 500MW output.
“Few companies are in a position to deliver this sort of diversity of renewable energy at this scale.
O’Donovan added that Ireland’s 70% renewables by 2030 ambition, set out by the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee earlier this year, is achievable.
He said: “The onus is now on the government deliver effective climate action by adopting this target, along with the other recommendations of the committee, as part of its soon-to-be-published ‘Plan on Climate Action’.
“Industry can and will rise to meet this challenge. The recent election results also bode well for the level of public support and increasing appetite to address climate change head-on.”
Coveney said: “As a government, we’re acutely aware of what needs to be done and broadly, how we need to do it.
“Declaring a ‘climate emergency’ alone will not suffice. My colleague, Minister Richard Bruton is currently finalising the government’s ‘Plan on Climate Action’ and this will be more ambitious and radical than anything we have seen before, which is precisely what we need to decarbonise.
“I commend Statkraft for their vision and commitment to renewables and am genuinely encouraged to see a company of their calibre identify Ireland as a new growth market.”