Ireland approves 400 mln euro green energy plan
Date: 06-Feb-02
Country: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
The new projects, resulting from a competitive bidding process under Ireland's Alternative Energy Requirement Programme, will use wind, hydro and biomass technologies to generate environmentally-friendly energy, the government said.
Over 40 companies applied for 15-year contracts under the programme, set up in the 1990s and now in its fifth phase. Power produced is sold to Ireland's Electricity Supply Board.
The latest investment, backed by the government, would double the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources, the government said.
Around seven percent of Ireland's electricity is currently generated from renewable sources. In 1999 the country set itself a target of 12 percent from such sources by 2005.
Joe Jacob, minister of state at the Department of Public Enterprise, said the tender process had been significantly over-subscribed.
"I had sought a total of 225 megawatts (MW) of electricity generating plant using renewable sources but in fact a total of almost 370 MW was tendered..." he said in a statement.
This indicated the level of interest in renewable energy throughout the country, he added.
The latest projects would prevent 1.5 million tonnes of polluting greenhouse gas emissions, and cut Ireland reliance on imported fossil fuels by more than two million barrels of oil a year, the statement said.
Last month, the government gave private Irish company Eirtricity the go-ahead on a 640 million euro plan to build the world's largest offshore wind farm, capable of generating 520 MW - around 10 percent of the country's needs.