TWO new Co Tyrone windfarms representing a total investment of £41 million will officially open today.
Gaelelectric will launch their Inishative and Cregganconroe windfarms this afternoon with the pair, located in Sixmilecross and the Loughmallon Road in Pomeroy, set to generate sufficient renewable power to meet the electricity demand of over 17,500 homes each year.
Inishative and Cregganconroe are Gaelectric’s fifth and sixth operating wind farms in Northern Ireland following previous investment in Derry and Antrim.
Each of the new wind farms comprises six Enercon wind turbines, with a maximum blade tip height of 110 metres and will generate 27.6MW of renewable energy annually.
To date, the projects have created over 40 full time and part time jobs during their development and construction phase, with the investment also boosting the north's renewable energy generation capacity and contributing to economic activity in the area.
Established in 2004 and employing over 100 people, Gaelectric has offices in Belfast and Dublin. The company currently employs 16 people in its technical office based at Clarendon Dock.
Head of corporate affairs for Gaelectric Patrick McClughan said the new windfarms were an "important milestone" for the business.
“Our total permitted portfolio now stands at 140 MWs in Northern Ireland and represents a total investment of approx £170million. This consolidates Gaelectric’s position as the largest indigenous renewable energy company in Northern Ireland, and we are proud to make a significant contribution to Northern Ireland’s renewable energy targets.”
In addition to its windfarms Gaelectric is also leading the development of energy storage in Northern Ireland with a unique Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) facility in Larne, Co. Antrim. The project will be capable of generating up to 330 MW of power for periods of between six and eight hours, enough to meet the electricity needs of over 200,000 homes.
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