Energia Group has announced that its new 49 MW Drumlins Park wind farm, now connected to the national grid, is supported by Microsoft through a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement.

This marks the start of commercial operations for Energia Group's 16th wind farm, Drumlins Park. Located near Newbliss in Co Monaghan, the 49 MW project features eight wind turbines provided by GE Renewable Energy.

Drumlins Park wind farm is the first project to commence commercial operations under the strategic framework agreement signed between Energia Group and Microsoft in 2022. This agreement enables Energia to build and operate a significant portfolio of new onshore wind farms and solar projects in Ireland, contributing renewable electricity to the national grid and supporting Ireland's climate action goals.

By reaching operational status, Drumlins Park also advances Microsoft's aim to achieve a 100 per cent renewable energy supply globally by 2025.

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Ian Thom, CEO of Energia Group said: "This new wind farm is an important milestone for Energia Group, as well as for our collaboration with Microsoft, as it is the first wind farm to be delivered as part of our framework agreement. It is a further example of our commitment to powering Ireland's energy transition, delivering new energy infrastructure to support the achievement of Ireland’s climate targets. I look forward to continuing our collaboration with Microsoft, unlocking substantial growth in our renewable generation portfolio and delivering clean electricity for the island of Ireland."

Lavinia Morris, General Manager, EMEA Data Centre Operations, Microsoft stated: "At Microsoft, we are committed to supporting the decarbonisation of energy grids in the markets where we operate. The commercial operation of the Drumlins Park wind farm is one of a number of projects coming online as a result of 900MWs of renewable energy projects that we announced in late 2022. This is another important step in our journey to transition to 100% renewable energy supply for all our data centres, buildings, and campuses around the world. As we seek to achieve a more sustainable future, Microsoft looks forward to continued collaboration with Energia to add net new clean energy capacity to Ireland’s energy grid."

Drumlins Park wind farm will establish a Community Benefit Fund of around €270,000 annually, equating to €2 per megawatt hour generated. An independent third party will manage the fund allocation through annual grants, with oversight from a locally appointed Community Committee to be set up in the coming months.

The partnership between Energia Group and Microsoft highlights the crucial role of collaborations in decarbonising the electricity grid and advancing Ireland's energy transition.