The 101MW Yellow River Wind Farm located in Rhode, County Offaly, is now connected to Ireland's national grid and producing first power.

This signifies a landmark moment for the project which was a substantial joint effort.

Engineering and technical teams from developer SSE Renewables, system operator EirGrid, high voltage electrical engineering contractor Suir Engineering and civils contractor Farrans Construction collaborated to connect and energise the project's 29 Nordex N117/3600 wind turbines and associated Knockdrin 110kV substation to the existing Derryiron 110kV Transmission Station nearby.

Michael Mahon, Chief Infrastructure Officer with EirGrid, said: "EirGrid's successful energisation of Knockdrin 110kV substation, connecting Yellow River Wind Farm is another step towards decarbonising Ireland's electricity grid.

"Ireland is fortunate with abundant renewable energy resources and harnessing these resources is critical in helping to meet our climate action targets.

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"Achievements like this are only possible through close collaboration of stakeholders across the energy industry and we at EirGrid are proud to collaborate with stakeholders on the successful delivery of this project."

With first power now achieved, testing of turbines will take place over the coming months ahead of reaching full power and entering commercial operations, expected in early 2025.

The electricity output from the wind farm will help contribute to Ireland's 2030 renewable energy targets while delivering homegrown and secure clean power for Irish energy consumers.

In operation, Yellow River Wind Farm will be capable of powering the equivalent of 67,000 homes annually while displacing 66,000 metric tonnes of carbon each year.

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 commenced construction of the Yellow River project in October 2022, with turbine deliveries and installation commencing in December 2023.

At peak delivery, the project supported up to 150 full-time construction phase jobs. The site will continue to support County Offaly's job creation and local economy in the project's final months of delivery.

Yellow River Wind Farm will also deliver a positive impact to the local community through an annual Community Benefit Fund which is expected to provide funding for local initiatives, projects, clubs and amenities for the 16.5-year duration of the RESS contract.

Completion of Yellow River Wind Farm in the coming months will contribute to SSE Renewables' target of increasing its installed renewable energy capacity to up to 9GW by 2027, as part of SSE's Net Zero Acceleration Programme Plus (NZAP Plus) infrastructure delivery programme to help drive progress towards a cleaner and more secure homegrown energy system.

Photo Credit: SSE Renewables