Business

Antrim solar farm will provide a quarter of Belfast International Airport's energy

The solar farm outside Antrim will provide 27 per cent of Aldergrove's electricity demand
The solar farm outside Antrim will provide 27 per cent of Aldergrove's electricity demand The solar farm outside Antrim will provide 27 per cent of Aldergrove's electricity demand
By Simon Cunningham

THE first large scale solar farm in Northern Ireland has been connected.

The 4.8MW facility outside Antrim will provide more than a quarter of the Belfast International Airport's annual electricity demand.

The Crookedstone Road farm, developed by Lightsource Renewable Energy, has been connected directly to Aldergrove's private network.

Lightsource said the construction of the farm led to more than £5 million being spent in the local economy.

The airport has a 25-year power purchase agreement to buy the electricity from Lightsource.

Lightsource CEO Nick Boyle said the installation, "represents another milestone for Lightsource and demonstrates the opportunities that solar energy presents for the whole island".

"The unique quality of solar power is that it is scalable and can be deployed very quickly and efficiently, as demonstrated by this project. This is the new world of electricity supply, which we are calling the solar revolution. Energy intensive businesses can now choose to procure solar electricity with no hassle, and Lightsource remains at the forefront of this exciting paradigm shift," he said.

Belfast International Airport operations director Alan Whiteside said it was a "unique project".

"We will become the core customer for Northern Ireland’s first solar farm via a private-wire connection. We’re breaking new ground with this exciting venture. Not only does it give us the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint, but it also means reduced energy costs while improving the integrity of our supply.”

The airport is the latest large energy user in Northern Ireland to seek alternative sources of energy.

Other schemes include plans for a major energy from waste plant in Belfast Harbour Estate.

The facility will provide up to 14.85MW of power to Bombardier Aerospace with excess energy going to the grid.

The project, expected to be completed late next year, is being developed by Full Circle Generation, a joint venture between RiverRidge Energy, Equitix Management Services, the Green Investment Bank and P3P Partners.