SSE has reached a milestone in the construction of its 101MW Yellow River onshore wind farm at Rhode in County Offaly with the successful installation of the 29th and final turbine at the Midlands site.

SSE Renewables has completed installation of the final turbine at the County Offaly site in collaboration with turbine provider Nordex Group, delivering each N117/3600 unit safely and on schedule since the campaign began in January. The wind farm's construction remains on track for completion later this summer, with commissioning and testing of turbines set to commence in the coming weeks, aiming for full operational status by early 2025.

Once operational, Yellow River Wind Farm’s 29 turbines will deliver 101MW of renewable energy output and be capable of powering the equivalent of 67,000 homes annually while displacing 66,000 metric tonnes of carbon each year. This vital renewable energy output will help contribute to Ireland’s 2030 renewable energy targets while delivering homegrown and secure clean power for Irish energy consumers. All the wind farm’s installed capacity has been contracted under a 16.5-year RESS 3 contract for low carbon power from the Irish Government.

SSE Renewables began construction of the wind farm in October 2022, creating up to 150 full-time construction phase jobs at its peak. Approximately 300,000 hours have been logged on the project site involving main local contractors and SSE employees. The site is set to further support job creation and the local economy in County Offaly in the coming months.

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Paul Rodgers, Project Manager on Yellow River Wind Farm for SSE Renewables said: "We are delighted to have reached this milestone in the project. It takes a huge amount of planning and organisation to get to this point. It was a massive team effort from everyone involved including our contracting partners Nordex, Farrans and Suir Engineering. We would like to thank the local communities surrounding Rhode for their patience and support over the past few months while we transported turbine components from the Port of Galway to site.

"Developments like Yellow River Wind Farm continue to be significant for Ireland, not just through the contribution they will make towards meeting Ireland’s green electricity targets, but also through the strategically important role they play in supporting local investment, creating good jobs and boosting regional development."

James Lappin, Project Manager for the Nordex Group stated: "To see the conclusion of turbine installations at Yellow River is a proud moment for everyone that has been involved in the installation programme over the past six months. Since commencing installation works in January, we have done everything possible to transport these huge components to site safely and with minimal disruption to local communities. To have gotten to this point on schedule is testament to the meticulous planning that has gone into this project from our partners at SSE Renewables, my colleagues at Nordex and all our suppliers."

Once operational, Yellow River will establish an annual Community Benefit Fund, allocating over half a million euros each year for local initiatives, projects, clubs and amenities throughout the 16.5-year duration of the RESS contract.

The completion of the Yellow River Wind Farm will support SSE Renewables’ goal of expanding its installed renewable energy capacity to 9GW by 2027, as part of SSE's Net Zero Acceleration Programme Plus (NZAP Plus) infrastructure delivery initiative aimed at advancing towards a cleaner and more resilient domestic energy system.