Gaelectric has announced that it has entered a turbine supply agreement, and an ENERCON PartnerKonzept (EPK) full maintenance agreement, with ENERCON GmbH, current European market leader and the world's leading provider of electrically excited direct drive turbines, for the supply of turbines for its Carn Hill wind energy project in Newtownabbety, Co. Antrim.

ENERCON will also provide, in close cooperation with Gaelectric, most of the civil and electrical infrastructure for this wind farm. Gaelectric has completed the first stage of construction at Carn Hill. This agreement with ENERCON GmbH will see the completion and commissioning of the project during the first quarter of 2013.

The Carn Hill project comprises 6 E-70 wind turbines with 2.3 MW rated power each. These turbines are similar to those supplied by ENERCON to Gaelectric’s wind energy project at Skrine, Co. Roscommon, which was commissioned in 2011 and is successfully generating renewable electricity to the national grid. Once commissioned, Carn Hill will generate sufficient renewable power to meet the electricity needs of 7,900 homes and contribute to the displacement of approximately 25,000 tonnes of CO2. Gaelectric has secured a power purchase agreement with Electric Ireland for the sale of power generated at Carn Hill. The Project represents a total investment of £20,000,000.

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Commenting on the contracts with ENERCON, Gaelectric CEO Brendan McGrath said: "Carn Hill is a strategically important project due to the significant contribution it will make to Gaelectric’s portfolio of generating assets and, given its prominent location on an elevated site north of Belfast City, the clear signal it gives to the direction of power market development on the island of Ireland towards renewable energy sources. We are obviously delighted to have secured a partner of the standing of ENERCON for such an important wind energy project."

Gaelectric is one of Ireland's largest developers of wind energy projects with an onshore portfolio comprising short and medium term development projects totally 164 MW, of which 137 MW is located in Northern Ireland. The Group has a further 170 MW of longer term development assets distributed between Northern Ireland and ROI. Projects totalling 80 MW have planning approval, with an additional 21.5 MW having received local borough approval in NI. Applications for approval have been submitted for a further 32 MW.

(CD/GK)