Business

A new energy ambition to meet our net zero goal

According to the Department for the Economy, here in Northern Ireland we are on target to meet our 40 per cent green energy target by 2020
According to the Department for the Economy, here in Northern Ireland we are on target to meet our 40 per cent green energy target by 2020 According to the Department for the Economy, here in Northern Ireland we are on target to meet our 40 per cent green energy target by 2020

TOMORROW marks Global Wind Day, a worldwide event that signals an opportune time for us all to reflect on the difference onshore wind farms make to our economy, including provision of highly-skilled jobs and millions of pounds of investment to rural communities across the country, and the ongoing climate change battle.

According to the Department for the Economy, here in Northern Ireland we are on target to meet our 40 per cent green energy target by 2020, a target set back in 2010. In the last year alone, 38.6 per cent of all electricity consumed here was from locally-sourced power across the region. Of that green generation, 83 per cent was from onshore wind turbines – including turbines at wind farms owned and operated by my own company, SSE Renewables.

Getting close to hitting our 40 per cent target is a stunning achievement considering that a decade ago, just 7 per cent of all electricity in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources. And it means we have taken huge strides in the years since towards ending our dependence on imported fossil fuels for most of our energy needs.

However our work in this field is far from done.

No new targets have been set for renewable energy or greenhouse gas emissions in Northern Ireland beyond 2020. There is no clear pathway into the future for our economy to continue to play its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

And the ambition to reduce greenhouse gases has never been greater. We have seen bold policy action on climate change targets from the UK Government just this week.

At SSE Renewables, we’re supporting these moves and we’re calling on Northern Irish policymakers to do the same if we truly want to combat climate change before it’s too late.

Meeting net zero by 2050 will require new ambition for increased renewable energy production across the UK, including here in Northern Ireland. Companies like ours stand ready to play our part in meeting the new ambition we need. That's why we’re continuing to advance the potential for new wind energy generation here – including our plans for a £150 million wind farm at Doraville in Co Tyrone, which could generate another 139MW of green electricity with the potential to power over 120,000 homes each year. Our Doraville project can bridge the final stretch to meeting our near-term 40 per cent target and crucially, once operational, can offset over 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually – making further strides on behalf of Northern Ireland towards our long-term net zero goal.

So, as we herald Global Wind Day, let’s all of us – whether the energy industry player or the policymaker – electrify our efforts to deliver an ambitious energy strategy that will guide all of us in Northern Ireland towards a 2050 net zero goal.

:: Paul Cooley is director of Capital Projects at SSE Renewables, the owner and operator of the largest onshore wind energy fleet in the UK and Ireland.