Wind energy company Simple Power and Northern Ireland’s biggest electricity retailer Power NI have announced a powerful working partnership which sees the electricity company purchase power generated by Simple Power’s single wind turbines across Northern Ireland. The contract term extends for fifteen years.
Signing a first-of-its-kind partnership for a medium wind energy company inNorthern Irelandsees Simple Power committing to generate 50 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity for distribution by Power NI – enough to power the equivalent of around 50,000 homes.
The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) framework covers all of Simple Power’s 200 medium scale single wind turbines which it is installing across Northern Ireland over the next five years and represents a major milestone for wind energy in the region.
“Our power purchase agreement with Power NI helps towards Northern Ireland’s renewable energy target of 40% by 2020,” says Paul Carson, chief executive of Simple Power. “Our partnership with Power NI not only meets demands for Northern Ireland’s renewable energy generation now and in the future, it is also benefitting the local economy by creating a strong local workforce to support this new green economy. Medium scale wind development, in the form of the single wind turbines we develop, also supports the rural economy by enabling farmers and landowners to participate in renewable generation. The agreement with Power NI offered the best commerical terms for Simple Power providing access to the wholesale electricity market.”
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Pictured are: Stephen McCully, managing director of Power NI, and Paul Carson, founder and chief executive of Simple Power.