One of the Kildare projects has given a disused golf course a new lease of life, swapping fairways for solar rays and turning the land into a source of clean, homegrown energy.
The deal brings Octopus’ portfolio of operational and construction renewables projects in Ireland to more than 300 MW across nine sites. Together, these can generate enough green electricity to power over 82,000 Irish homes a year.
The announcement comes as Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, is in Dublin today (29th September) to speak at a meeting with Energy Ministers from across the European Union.
Octopus, one of Europe’s largest specialist energy transition investors, has been ramping up its investments in Irish renewables in recent years, backing projects that can help deliver the country’s ambition to generate 80 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
It has invested in green energy developer Circal, which has a 1 GW pipeline of solar farms; Verde Energy Group, which is rolling out more than 50 on-site solar and storage projects to help businesses go green; and Simply Blue Group, which is helping advance fixed and floating offshore wind projects in Ireland’s windy waters.
“This investment from Octopus Energy Generation is hugely welcome as solar growth in Ireland continues to strengthen our energy security and clean electricity capacity” said Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. “Ireland recently marked two major milestones for utility-scale solar, reaching 3 GW of installed solar capacity and setting a new record of 1.3 GW for peak solar generation at a given time on the grid. Octopus’ expansion of their generation business in Ireland, supported by the Ireland Strategy Investment Fund, further enhances our renewables capacity, and is another important step in transforming our electricity system for homes, farms and business across Ireland. I’m also delighted Greg Jackson is participating in today’s Informal Meeting of EU Energy Ministers. Clean, secure and affordable energy is the focus of our discussions and Octopus brings valuable expertise and perspectives to that agenda.”
The latest solar investment was made on behalf of the Sky (ORI SCSp), managed by Octopus Energy Generation, which backs renewables and energy transition infrastructure across the globe.
The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), the country’s sovereign development fund managed by the National Treasury Management Agency, has committed £80 million to the Sky fund.
As part of its long-term commitment to Ireland, Octopus’s generation arm established a Dublin office in 2023 to support its growing local investment activity.
“Ireland has what it takes to become a clean energy powerhouse – and these solar farms will power thousands of Irish homes with green electricity” said Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation. “This is only the beginning, as Octopus is backing solar, wind and battery projects across Ireland to build a cleaner, more resilient energy system – cutting reliance on imported energy and getting more home-grown power into Irish homes and businesses.”
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