Managing director at Strategic Power Projects, Paul Carson, praises the progress of Irish solar stating that it is “now beginning to move in the right direction”. Image: Strategic Power Projects.
Strategic Power Projects’ (SPP) managing director Paul Carson has said that Ireland is “now beginning to move in the right direction” upon receiving planning approval for a 125MW solar and 285MW battery energy storage (BESS) co-located site in Movallet, Co.Louth.
“This is one of Ireland’s largest solar and battery installations, so it will make a significant contribution to the national energy generation and storage infrastructure. We all know the challenges which face the country, north and south. Energy prices have gone through the roof, security of supply is an ongoing concern and we have stringent and legally binding carbon emissions targets to reach,” continued Carson.
“I am heartened and encouraged at the decision by Louth County Council to give our project at Monvallet the go ahead. I hope that I am not too early in saying so, but it looks like the government’s efforts to draft and implement legislation to speed up the countries’ response to the energy crisis are bearing fruit. I now look forward to further developments, including the government’s proposed electricity storage policy framework. Much done, more to do.”
At last year’s Solar Finance & Investment Europe 2022, Carson joined the panel discussing the advancement of solar in Ireland and highlighted that grid constraints were a significant barrier to Ireland’s decarbonisation goals.
Despite this challenge, Ireland presents an opportunity for the development of utility scale solar. Solar Power Portal sat down with Carson to discuss what prospects Ireland offers the growing solar industry.
The 2023 Solar Finance & Investment Europe conference – run by Solar Power Portal’s parent company Solar Media – is set to take place this week from 1-2 February. To find out more and register, click here.