Midlands windfarm developer hails inter-government deal

One of the key players in plans to create major windfarms in the midlands has welcomed the move by the Irish and British Governments to sign an agreement to potentially trade renewable energy Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, and the UK Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey today committed to working closely together to secure economic benefits for both countries through trade in renewable energy. Welcoming the move, Mainstream Renewable Power, the global wind and solar company set up by Eddie O'Connor, which is behind a plan to generate 5,000MW of wind energy in the midlands for export to the UK, said: "Today is a very meaningful step towards creating a €2.5 billion energy export industry for Ireland which is equal to our dairy exports in 2011. Mainstream has secured a firm grid connection to the UK and we are on track to start exporting in 2017." The agreement will trigger detailed analysis of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the United Kingdom. If analysis shows that renewables trading would be to mutual benefit, the next stage would be to develop an inter-governmental agreement for signing in 2014. A tight timeline is essential if potential projects, which would be selected through an open competitive process, are to commence exporting wind energy from Ireland to the United Kingdom by 2020. Mr O'Connor stressed that speed was now of the essence. He said: "Today's MoU needs to lead to a full agreement between the two governments as quickly as possible. "The lead-time for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) equipment is in excess of three years. To deliver our first electricity to the UK by 2017 will require a full agreement between the governments in the coming months." Mainstream is planning a 5,000MWs 'Energy Bridge' wind park in the midlands, which will export power to plug the UK's energy gap, starting in 2017. In all, it's expected that 400 turbines will be erected across six counties, Offaly, Laois, Meath, Kildare, Westmeath and Tipperary, with Westmeath earmarked for an estimated 40 turbines.