Four healthcare companies, based at Ringskiddy penisula, County Cork, have combined to develop a Eur30 million wind energy project to cut their electricity costs while also reducing their environmental impact.
Centocor, DePuy, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis have formed the Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group, which plans to build a total of seven 118m wind turbines on the companies’ four sites along the entrance to Cork Harbour. If successful in gaining planning approval, the new energy generation scheme will reduce the carbon footprint of each of the four factory sites by up to 30% or up to 22,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
“Each of the companies involved in this project has a strong commitment to improving environmental performance. This project will reduce each site’s use of electricity generated through carbon generating means by up to 30%, reducing the impact of our operations on the environment,” says Gerry Collins, vice president of Centocor Biologics Ireland.
According to Novartis general manager John Alexander, the project would be one of the first of its type in the world. “The creation of the Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group has taken advantage of the expertise and innovative spirit that exists in Ireland,” he says. “By bringing the four sites together, this project has shown that Ireland remains a centre for excellence in manufacturing, efficiency and innovation.”