Bord Gáis Energy has signed an agreement with solar photovoltaic company Obton to manage eleven solar farms to be built by the Danish firm and its Irish partner Shannon Energy over the next two years.

The deal also includes an off-take agreement whereby BGE will purchase the 118MW of electricity generated annually by the solar farms, adding to its sources of renewable energy.

The Danish-Irish partnership, which calls itself ‘Obton powered by Shannon Energy’, plans to double its investment in the Irish solar energy market, expanding their solar portfolio here to reach a total capacity of one gigawatt by 2026, involving a total investment of €750m in the sector.

The eleven solar farms which BGE will manage for Obton are the 11 projects the partners submitted in the first round of the government’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). They were subsequently awarded contracts for all eleven.

Managing director Dave Kirwan (pictured) said: “At Bord Gáis Energy we intend to take the lead in helping Irish energy customers transition affordably to a lower carbon future.  Earlier this month we launched Ireland’s first dual-fuel green energy plans for our customers, and we are now delighted to be partnering with Obton on the first phase of their solar projects in Ireland.

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“This will not only increase the amount of renewable energy supply we can offer our customers over the next 15 years but will also directly support the decarbonisation of the electricity system, making Ireland greener.”

Shannon Energy chief executive Noel Shannon added: “The team at Obton powered by Shannon Energy are delighted to confirm this new partnership with Bord Gáis Energy.  These projects, as well as creating jobs and a clean source of energy, also inject huge confidence into Ireland’s green credentials. 

“Our recent announcement that we are doubling our investment here demonstrates our commitment to the Irish solar energy sector.  We are excited about the future of solar energy in Ireland and we have hugely ambitious plans for this sector.”

The solar farms are located in Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Longford, Galway, Offaly, Meath and Tipperary. The production from these will be sufficient to power c.20,000 homes.