Rhys BerryRenewable energy developer Simply Blue Gorup has announced it has acquired land in Whitegate, Ireland, as part of its plans to develop a renewable energy park to produce sustainable fuels.
In a statement issued yesterday (17 June), Simply Blue Group said the land acquisition represents an ‘important stage’ in its announced strategy to develop a portfolio of clean energy projects in Ireland and other markets, including Canada and Australia, using a diverse range of renewable feedstocks and inputs.
The Irish government has set a 2030 target to develop 2GW of offshore wind power that will be reserved for non-grid off-takers – and Simply Blue Group noted that sustainable fuel production ‘can provide an alternative route to market for renewable electricity’ as the nation aims to build 20GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040 and 37GW by 2050.
Adjacent to Ireland’s only oil refinery, which has been zoned for industrial use for more than a decade, Simply Blue Group also highlighted that the land is near the high voltage transmission network, the natural gas transmission line and has shoreline access.
‘We are on a mission to deliver clean energy projects to forward the energy transition,’ said Hugh Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO of Simply Blue Group. ‘Our outwardly focused and responsive approach to project development has helped us to take strategic decisions to diversify the sustainable fuels we plan to produce. We recognise that sustainable fuels projects using non-grid renewable energy offer a rapid route to market for many renewable energy projects.’
Michael Galvin, Director of Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels at Simply Blue Group, added: ‘The highly experienced and capable sustainable fuels team have worked diligently and conscientiously to achieve an important development step for a renewable energy park able to produce low-carbon fuels at Whitegate. Their work has been crucial to identifying and initiating this opportunity and ensuring that at every step along the way we have carefully managed relations with stakeholders across the site and the community.’
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Tom Barlow-Brown
