logo
Bord Gáis Energy to become top solar supplier

Bord Gáis Energy to become top solar supplier

Irish Times16-07-2025
Bord Gáis Energy
is poised to become the Republic's biggest buyer of solar-powered electricity following a series of deals announced on Wednesday.
The company has agreed to buy enough electricity from wind and solar farms to supply around 250,000 homes.
The agreements include deals to purchase electricity from solar farms that will have a total capacity of more than 600 mega watts, making Bord Gáis Energy the largest buyer of this type of green electricity in the Republic.
The solar electricity developers include Highfield Energy, BNRG, ILOS Energy and Power Capital Renewable Energy, all of which have projects up and running or in construction and set to begin supplying electricity between now and 2028.
READ MORE
Bord Gáis Energy will buy the electricity that the various plants produce, then sell it to the wholesale market along with power produced from its own assets, including its gas-fired power station in Whitegate Co Cork.
John Dalton, director of trading with Bord Gáis Energy, said the company was working with its farming and business customers to aid them in switching 'to a lower carbon future'.
'We've partnered with trusted renewable energy developers and the newly signed agreements will amount to enough clean electricity annually to power approximately 250,000 residential homes,' he added.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dawn Meats eyes NZ co-op deal and what tariffs mean for the Border
Dawn Meats eyes NZ co-op deal and what tariffs mean for the Border

Irish Times

time44 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Dawn Meats eyes NZ co-op deal and what tariffs mean for the Border

Waterford-based Dawn Meats has emerged as the front-runner to take a controlling stake in New Zealand's Alliance Group, a farmer-owned co-operative that describes itself as the world's biggest exporter of sheep meat. Nigel Stirling has the details. Some Irish whiskey exporters may be forced 'to reorientate their focus away' from the US if a 15 per cent tariff rate applies as part of the recently agreed EU-US trade deal, the head of the Irish Whiskey Association has warned. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports. Staying with tariffs, in Agenda, Paul Colgan assesses the fallout of the EU-US trade deal for Ireland and the impact of having a different tariff on either side of the Border. Did the EU bend the knee to Donald Trump in agreeing the bones of what appears to be a lopsided trade deal? In his column, Eoin Burke-Kennedy writes that Commission president Ursula von der Leyen may have taken a leaf out of Keir Starmer's book. READ MORE Former Sherry FitzGerald chief executive Steven McKenna has set up a consultancy to advise Irish SMEs on their digital strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and succession planning. Ciarán Hancock has more. Rising costs and a slow down in new business failed to halt manufacturing growth this month, figures published on Friday show. Irish factories boosted production for the seventh month in a row in July, according to AIB's Ireland Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index. Barry O'Halloran reports. Joe Brennan has details of a deal that sees Goldman Sachs acquire key economic interests to more than €1 billion of mortgages written by Finance Ireland before it exited the home loans market this year, according to sources. World of Work sees Margaret E Ward look at the changing role of fathers in the workplace and what that means for working life today. Inheritance tax is set to be reformed , but in Smart Money, Cliff Taylor warns that the changes inevitably won't please everyone. Irishman Mark Bourke wants to remain chief executive of Novo Banco after the Portuguese lender's acquisition by French banking group BPCE is completed next year. The Workplace Relations Commission has ordered Tesco to re-employ a worker it sacked last year for calling his manager 'useless' in a performance review meeting – after ruling the supermarket's management went over the top in dismissing him. Stephen Bourke has the story. Food prices in Ireland are rising at three times the rate of overall inflation, the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show. Eoin has the details. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.

National Concert Hall sought government exemption from funding revamp
National Concert Hall sought government exemption from funding revamp

Irish Times

time44 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

National Concert Hall sought government exemption from funding revamp

The National Concert Hall (NCH) asked the government to guarantee it will not have to fund the multimillion-euro costs of a big redevelopment of its central Dublin campus. The long-mooted NCH plan envisages transforming the Earlsfort Terrace site and 'potentially the entire quarter of the city' around it. Internal documents show the organisation requested a guarantee it will not have to pay for the project – as well as seeking top-up payments for some staff. NCH chair Maura McGrath sent a memo to the Department of Culture last September outlining that it had 'previously been advised that there is no requirement for the NCH to contribute to the cost of the project'. 'The NCH board would welcome official confirmation of this from government,' she wrote. READ MORE NCH chief executive Robert Read also wrote to Feargal Ó Coigligh, the secretary general in the Department of Culture, outlining 'significant risks posed by the unresolved and outstanding [human resources] issues' associated with the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and associated choirs from RTÉ to the NCH in 2022. The correspondence was released under the Freedom of Information Act. Mr Read 'urgently' sought several decisions, including a request to 'buy out' annual emolument payments made to NCH staff, and to retain flexibility 'to offer increased increments along the pay scale in order to appoint world-class standard of musicians'. [ The National Concert Hall's official memos: On revamp costs, one-off payments and HR 'issues' Opens in new window ] It also sought a 'one-off recognition payment' to two people who it said provided interim leadership to the orchestra combined with their existing roles when its general manager left. He also asked for a once-off payment to junior members of the NSO team who had to take on additional responsibilities 'far in excess of their grades' at the time. Ms McGrath's memo also refers to 'difficulty and delay' in dealing with legacy HR issues, which she said was a 'serious cause of concern' for the leadership and the board of the NCH, 'and is a risk to business as usual at the NCH'. In a statement, the NCH said the correspondence with the department 'reflects the normal and necessary engagement' with its parent department. 'This forms part of standard, collaborative processes.' Regarding the transfer of the NSO and choirs, a spokeswoman said that 'all such requirements are being progressed on a satisfactory basis'. A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture said all project costs will be re-examined before any decision is made to award contracts. She said the project is one of a number being considered under the National Development Plan. 'The development of the project is subject to continuous evaluation and planning,' she said, adding that a risk management plan has been developed. Regarding the legacy HR issues, the department said the transfer of the NSO and choirs was governed by an oversight and a working group, and a financial consultant was engaged to provide advice on pensions and benefits for transferring employees. 'Following extensive consultation, all queries relating to employees' terms and conditions and pension entitlements were fully addressed.' It said that it works with the NCH to ensure workforce plans are consistent with Government policy and financially sustainable. The NCH said it 'operates fully within its allocated government funding and revenue frameworks, while also progressing our keynote transformation project for a renewed, future-focused national music institution'. 'As with all large-scale capital developments, it is expected that a range of matters and options will be examined and discussed.'

Former Sherry FitzGerald chief sets up consultancy for Irish SMEs
Former Sherry FitzGerald chief sets up consultancy for Irish SMEs

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

Former Sherry FitzGerald chief sets up consultancy for Irish SMEs

Former Sherry FitzGerald chief executive Steven McKenna has set up a consultancy to advise Irish SMEs on their digital strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and succession planning. Based in Dublin and called Stratavera (inspired by 'a new era of strategic advice'), the entity will target business owners and leadership teams who are navigating issues around growth, transformation and 'value creation', Mr McKenna told The Irish Times. The Galway native left Sherry FitzGerald, the country's biggest estate agent, in February, after 17 years with the business, eight of them as chief executive. In 2017, he succeeded the estate agent's high-profile cofounder Mark FitzGerald as chief executive, later navigating the company through the impacts of Brexit, Covid lockdown restrictions and the inflationary environment that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. READ MORE During his time in charge with Sherry Fitz, Mr McKenna also oversaw the sale of the business in 2022 to CastleGate Investments – a Tommy Kelly-backed family fund. In addition, under his leadership it launched online customer platform MySherryFitz in 2018, sold its commercial property business to Cushman & Wakefield Global , and expanded its network into Northern Ireland through the acquisition of Simon Brien Residential. Having completed a course at Harvard University in the United States last year around the theme of competing in the age of artificial intelligence, Mr McKenna, a former Connacht rugby player, decided to branch out with his own advisory business. 'I'm excited at the prospect of working with new businesses,' he said. Currently operating as a one-man band, Mr McKenna said he would work with a network of 'trusted specialists' to bring their 'know-how' to clients. 'Those companies often don't have the bandwidth to step outside their day-to-day operations to focus on opportunities around digital transformation and growth,' he said. 'I'm looking to help them with their transformations to set them up for the future.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store