DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE (NYSE:GE), announced today it has made its first equity investment in Ireland’s wind power market by acquiring two wind farm construction projects that will be powered by the GE’s flagship 2.85MW wind turbines. With a combined capacity of 51 megawatts, the wind farms, acquired from Element Power and now under construction, will help Ireland meet its renewable energy generation targets, produce power for thousands of homes, and reduce electricity costs for Irish consumers. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Element Power is managing construction of the projects and will provide operational management services following completion of the farms, which will use GE’s 2.85-megawatt turbines with 103m rotors. The 17-megawatt Acres wind farm is near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, 210 kilometres northwest of Dublin. Construction completion of Acres is scheduled in the first quarter of 2015. The 34-megawatt Barranafaddock wind farm is near Ballyduff, Co. Waterford, 230 kilometres southwest of Dublin. Construction of Barranafaddock is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2015. The wind farms are expected to make a significant contribution to local economies through the payment of rent to local landowners and rates to local county councils over expected minimum 25 year life of the project. The civils and electricals works have been awarded to Irish contractors, Moriarty Civil Engineering and Kirby Group respectively.
The Acres and Barranafaddock wind farms will help Ireland meet its target of generating 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, more than half the percentage required by the European Union. In addition, the wind farms are expected to generate enough electrical energy to power more than 33,300 homes in Ireland and avoid the emission of up to 75,000 tons of greenhouse gases.
“The Acres and Barranafaddock wind farms illustrate the complementary fit between Element Power’s development, construction and operations expertise and GE’s capital and wind turbine technology,” said Mike O’Neill, president and chief operating officer of Element Power.
Andrew Marsden, a managing director and European leader at GE Energy Financial Services, noted that the projects highlight GE’s interest in deploying capital in Ireland’s energy sector and working with strong partners to offer expertise gained as one of the world’s largest private investors in wind energy projects.
“The combination of Ireland’s strong wind resources with a stable regulatory regime and well-structured feed-in tariff for wind energy present attractive growth opportunities for us, our partners and the country,” said Marsden. “We value our partnership with Element Power and are exploring other opportunities to work with them and others in Ireland and across Europe as we seek to expand our portfolio of energy investments.”
GE Energy Financial Services is one of the world’s biggest investors in wind power, with a portfolio of wind projects spanning nine countries, with a capacity totaling more than 12 gigawatts in operation or under construction.
Note to Editors:
PHOTOS: The 17-megawatt Acres wind farm is near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal on rural agricultural lands. The 34-megawatt Barranafaddock wind farm is sited on similar terrain near Ballyduff, Co. Waterford.
Calculation of wind electric energy generation derived from IWEA Fact Infographic
Element Power
Element Power is a global renewable energy developer that develops, acquires, builds, owns and operates a portfolio of wind and solar power generation facilities worldwide. Element is present in 10 countries, and over 5,300MW of projects in development. Element Power is owned by Hudson Clean Energy Partners, a global private equity firm dedicated solely to investing in renewable power, alternative fuels, energy efficiency and storage. The company’s main offices are in London and Portland (Oregon), with operating bases on the East Coast (US) as well as Ireland, Madrid, Poland, Sweden and Finland. www.elpower.com
About GE Energy Financial Services
GE Energy Financial Services—GE’s energy investing business—works as a builder, not just a banker, to help meet the world’s power and fuel needs. We offer more than money—expertise—for essential, long-lived and capital-intensive power, oil and gas infrastructure—GE’s core business. Drawing on GE’s energy technical know-how, financial strength and risk management, we see value where others don’t and take on our customers’ toughest challenges with flexible equity and debt transaction structures. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, GE Energy Financial Services holds approximately $18 billion in assets. More information: www.geenergyfinancialservices.com. Follow GE Energy Financial Services on Twitter: @GEEnergyFinServ
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.