Voltalia Joins Forces with ESB to Build Middleton House Solar Farm
ESB has announced that Voltalia will be the main engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the development of Middleton House Solar Farm, located northeast of Lanesborough, Ireland. The construction phase of this multi-million euro project is set to kick off in September 2024. Once completed, the solar farm will generate 57MW of clean electricity, enough to power over 15,000 homes. Middleton House Solar Farm will connect to the electricity network via a new 5km cable route along a disused peat rail line, previously used from the late 1950s until a few years ago to transport peat to a carbon-intensive power station. Now, ESB’s solar team is transforming this infrastructure to connect clean energy to the national grid, utilizing the existing connection at the former Lough Ree Power Site.
ESB’s Net Zero by 2040 strategy includes a commitment to increase renewable generation more than fivefold to 5000MW, with solar playing a crucial role alongside offshore and onshore wind, battery, and green hydrogen projects. Middleton House Solar Farm is part of ESB’s extensive pipeline of utility-scale solar farms across the midlands, south, and southeast of Ireland. Eoin Naughton, Solar Development Manager at ESB, stated, “Lanesborough has a long and rich history of indigenous electricity generation. This announcement marks not just the commencement of Middleton House Solar Farm but the revitalization of the midlands as a strategic energy hub as part of Ireland’s clean energy future. Solar provides an excellent source of clean, low-cost energy that will help to reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels and achieve energy independence. We now look forward to working with Voltalia to deliver Middleton House Solar Farm.” Sébastien Clerc, Chief Executive of Voltalia, added, “Voltalia is delighted to have been selected as the EPC service provider for the Middleton House project. After our first collaboration for the Timahoe North project, Voltalia is thrilled to see ESB’s trust confirmed with this additional contract. As a key partner, Voltalia will continue to support ESB’s ambition to reach its ESG objectives by 2040.”
Full planning permission has been granted by Longford County Council, and the project was successful in the RESS 2 auction in June 2022. Throughout the development of this project, ESB has committed to working closely with the local communities surrounding the site to ensure successful delivery. Once the Middleton House Solar Farm is operational, a community benefit fund will be available to distribute grants to organizations in the local area. The fund aims to support the wider economic, environmental, social, and cultural well-being of the local community. #CleanEnergy #SolarPower #SustainableFuture #RenewableEnergy #EnergyIndependence #NetZero2040 #IrelandGreenEnergy #ESB #Voltalia #CommunityBenefit