Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 October 2013
143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of wind farms and wind farm assets of Bord Gáis it is envisaged they will sell; the number of wind farms this amounts to; and if he will supply a list of locations. [43918/13]
View answerIn February 2012 the Government agreed to sell the competitive energy business of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), namely Bord Gáis Energy. Bord Gáis Energy comprises the following businesses:
- A leading energy supply business in Ireland, servicing over 700,000 customers in the gas and electricity markets,
- A 445 MW gas fired power station at Whitegate in Co. Cork,
- A large scale portfolio of onshore wind assets, and
- Firmus energy, a growing energy supply and distribution business in Northern Ireland.
The sale of Bord Gáis Energy comprises the entire portfolio of BGÉ onshore wind assets.
In December 2009, BGÉ completed the acquisition of SWS Natural Resources Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures. SWS had a total installed capacity of 178 MW, of which 5MW was in Northern Ireland. At the time, SWS had wind generation assets in development with a projected additional capacity of 460 MW (311 MW in Ireland and 149 MW in Northern Ireland). Since the acquisition of SWS, Bord Gáis Energy has made considerable investment in the development of its windfarm portfolio with the development of a number of significant projects.
Bord Gáis Energy is a key player within the Irish wind energy market with 15% of the installed wind capacity in Ireland at present and an operational capacity of 234MW. It owns and operates 135 turbines on 13 wind farms in eight counties - Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Donegal and Tyrone. The Bord Gáis Energy website includes an interactive map with information about the individual wind farms.
