ESB acquires its first wind farms in Britain

ESB today announced that it has acquired its first wind farms in Britain. The company has purchased the fully licensed Fullabrook Wind Farm in Devon and the operating West Durham Wind Farm in Co. Durham.

The acquisitions mean that ESB has already reached almost half its 2012 target for wind generation in Britain.

Fullabrook Wind Farm is located between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe in North Devon and has consent for up to 66MW of electricity generation. Construction of the 22 turbine scheme is expected to start early next year.

The 12 turbine, 24MW West Durham wind farm is located near Tow Law in County Durham in the North East of England. The site was developed, financed and constructed by The Banks Group and started generating last May.

Announcing the acquisitions, ESB's Head of Wind Development, Joe O'Mahony, said the deals mark the first step in the Company's strategy to achieve 200 MW of wind generation in Britain by 2012.

"We are committed to developing a balanced portfolio of generation with less reliance on fossil fuels. Market convergence between the UK and Ireland, and delivery of our low carbon strategic framework, means that ESB sees the UK as a key market. We are delivering on our strategic objectives to become a significant investor in the UK renewables market," he said.

In line with ESB's corporate strategy to halve its carbon emissions within 12 years and achieve carbon net-zero emission by 2035, ESBI launched a major investment strategy in Britain last November. This includes significant plans to develop or acquire wind energy projects.

Overall, ESB has allocated €4 billion specifically for direct investment in renewable generation projects, and is active in supporting a low carbon future.