Dulas has announced the launch of its Irish headquarters in Dublin in response to the country’s growing clean energy market and the Irish government’s targets for 2020.
The Republic of Ireland has seen its renewables sector grow considerably in recent years, with the government aiming to achieve 40% of electricity consumption and 16% of final energy consumption from renewables by 2020. The country generated just 8.6% of its energy demand in 2014 and according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, is alongside the UK in being one of the furthest away from meeting its targets compared to other member states .
As a developer working across wind, solar and hydro, Dulas’ new Dublin office will seek to provide technical consultancy services, as well as assist UK clients when they enter the Irish market.
Phil Horton, managing director of Dulas, said: “While the Republic of Ireland’s clean energy industry has been showing steady growth in recent years, many more projects need to be commissioned if renewable energy sources are to make up 16% of final energy consumption by 2020.
“Our presence in Ireland has increased in line with the market over the past few years, and our new Dublin office should ensure that we can further support and develop our clients’ projects in the lead up to 2020.”
A large proportion of the country’s renewable power comes from wind, while environmental minister Alan Kelly recently announced plans for a 360MW hydroelectric power station.
Solar will be supported through a series of new support frameworks for both utility-scale and microgenerators of renewable sources laid out in a white paper unveiled in December. It was also confirmed that a Renewables Obligation and feed-in tariff would be put into place later this year with precise rates and degressions yet to be decided.
“The deployment of solar in Ireland has the potential to increase energy security, contribute to our renewable energy targets, and support economic growth and jobs. Solar also brings a number of benefits like relatively quick construction and a range of deployment options, including solar thermal for heat and solar PV for electricity,” it stated.
A recent report from KPMG has claimed the Irish solar market could hit around 4GW by 2030 at a cost of around €670 million from government subsidy.
Fintan Whelan, corporate finance manager for Airtricity, recently said that as much as 1GW of solar could be built in Ireland by 2020 but that overcrowding in the market would see many projects miss out in the growing market.
Dulas’ entry into Ireland follows a number of similar moves into the area, with Lightsource making a significant investment in the country last summer.