Work has commenced on a renewable energy scheme to supply electricity to NI Water’s Dunore Water Treatment works in South Antrim. This is taking the form of a solar farm, and is going to cost N1 Water somewhere in the region of £7million.

The work will take place on a 33 acre site on the eastern shore of Lough Neagh, and it is predicted that the establishment of the solar farm will save the company more than £0.5m annually in energy costs. It is expected that the peak output of the plant when completed will be around 4.99 megawatts.

The project is expected to not only be able to meet the energy needs of the Dunore WTW, but that those will be exceeded, which will enable the company to contribute spare capacity to the grid. NI Water is the biggest user of electricity in the province, with Dunore being is its third largest site in terms of energy consumption, accounting for 7% of the company’s annual usage.

CEO Sara Venning commented on the announcement, saying:

“As the largest user of electricity in N. Ireland, we are committed to limiting our impact on the environment. NI Water expects to increase our electricity consumption from renewable sources from currently around 13% to 40% in 2020/21. This project will make a significant contribution towards our ability to achieve that stretching goal.”

The local construction sector will also get a boost from the project, which will employ around thirty individuals from local firm GRAHAM Construction throughout the contract, which is expected to be completed by March 2018.

“NI Water recognises the opportunity that recent and future change in the electricity market and associated technologies represent. The Dunore Solar Farm is an important element in our strategy to deliver benefit for our customers and environment,” she added.

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