 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity distribution |
| Founded | Dublin, Ireland (1997) |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
| Products | Electricity, Gas |
Number of employees | 750 |
| Parent | SSE plc |
| Website | www |
SSE Airtricity (previously Eirtricity) is an energy company founded in Ireland in 1997, and now a subsidiary SSE plc. SSE Airtricity supplies and distributes electricity and gas to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The company was founded as Eirtricity (derived from the word Éire , Irish for "Ireland") in 1997 by Eddie O'Connor, developed generation capacity in Ireland based in counties Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Wexford construction, though only 7 of a planned 200 turbines were actually built. The company changed its name to Airtricity in 2002. It rebranded as SSE Airtricity in February 2014.
In 2007 Airtricity was named 'The No.1 Best Company to Work For in Ireland' by the Great Place To Work Institute. [1]
The company sold its North American assets in October 2007 to the German Group E.ON for approximately $1.4bn. [2] The company was sold to SSE plc in January 2008 for approximately €1.1b. [3]
On 15 January 2009, Airtricity obtained consent from the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management for construction of the West Rhine (Dutch: West-Rijn) wind farm 40 kilometres off the Dutch North Sea coast. The wind farm will consist of up to 72 wind turbines with a total potential power capacity of around 260 MW. [4]
Eddie O'Connor left Airtricity in 2008 and founded Mainstream Renewable Power. [5]
In October 2009 SSE announced that the renewable energy division of Airtricity would be rebranded as SSE Renewables from 1 January 2010. [6]
In May 2010 Airtricity announced that it would be entering the domestic gas market in the Republic of Ireland. [7] Airtricity came under fire in 2010 for an alleged lack of compassion in disconnecting customers with a good bill-paying record. [8]
SSE Airtricity is owned by Scottish and Southern Energy as of 15 February 2008 and now describes itself as "the renewable arm of Scottish and Southern Energy Group". [9]
As of May 2008, the company had 24 wind farms in operation throughout Ireland and the UK, with a total nameplate capacity of over 600 MW. A further 7 wind farms totalling over 100 MW are under construction. Construction of the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm with a peak capacity of 500 MW using 140 x 3.6 MW Siemens turbines. [10] These included:
SSE Airtricity supplies electricity in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to industrial and residential customers. [12] [13] In the Republic of Ireland it competes with ESB Electric Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy, while in Northern Ireland it competes with Viridian, Phoenix Natural Gas, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) and ESB Electric Ireland.
In 2010, SSE Airtricity signed a three-year deal to become the primary sponsor of the League of Ireland. [14] In January 2021 a two-year renewal of the existing deal with the (men's) League of Ireland was extended to also cover the Women's National League. [15]
SSE Airtricity currently sponsors the Dublin Marathon and the Great Wall Marathon in Northern Ireland.
SSE Airtricity is also a principal sponsor of the Eco Schools programme. [16]
The Electricity Supply Board is a state owned electricity company operating in the Republic of Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a "liberalised" and competitive market. It is a statutory corporation whose members are appointed by the government of Ireland.
EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF, with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom. It employs 11,717 people, and handles 5.22 million business and residential customer accounts.
The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective.
Mynydd y Betws is a mountain or large hill located on the northern side of the border between Swansea and Carmarthenshire in South Wales, between Ammanford and Clydach. It is an area of upland with large stretches of tussocky grassland. The medieval castle of Penlle'r Castell is located on Mynydd y Gwair to the south-south west, Mynydd y Betws Wind Farm is prominent with fifteen 110 m (361 ft) wind turbines.
SSE plc is a multinational energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. SSE operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Arklow Bank Wind Park is a 25 megawatt offshore wind farm generating electrical power for the Wicklow region in Ireland. It is the first offshore wind farm in Ireland, and the world's first erection of wind turbines rated over 3 MW. It is located on the Arklow Bank, a shallow water sandbank in the Irish Sea, around 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) off the coast of Arklow with an area of 27 by 2.5 kilometres.
Greater Gabbard is a 504 MW wind farm, built on sandbanks 23 kilometres (14 mi) off the coast of Suffolk in England at a cost of £1.5 billion. It was completed on 7 September 2012 with all of the Siemens SWT3.6–107 turbines connected. Developed as a joint venture between Airtricity and Fluor, it is now jointly owned by SSE Renewables and Innogy.
Wind power is the fastest-growing renewable energy technology in Scotland, with 11,482 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity by Q1 2023. This included 9,316 MW from onshore wind in Scotland and 2,166 MW of offshore wind generators.
Meentycat wind farm is a wind farm located north of Ballybofey, County Donegal, Ireland. Erected in 2004, it was Ireland's largest wind farm when it opened in 2005. Originally owned by Airtricity, as of 2020 it was run by SSE Renewables.
As of 2021 the island of Ireland has 5,585 megawatt and the Republic of Ireland has 4,309 MW of installed wind power nameplate capacity, the third highest per capita in the world. In 2020 wind turbines generated 36.3% of Ireland's electrical demand, one of the highest wind power penetrations in the world.
Keadby Power Stations are a pair of natural gas-fired power stations near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire, built on the site of an older coal power station. The site lies near the B1392 and the River Trent, and the Scunthorpe-Grimsby railway. Also nearby is the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, which is part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation. The current stations are operated by SSE Thermal.
The electricity sectors of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are integrated and supply 2.5 million customers from a combination of coal, peat, natural gas, wind and hydropower. In 2022, 34 TWh were generated. In 2018 natural gas produced 51.8%, while wind turbines generated 28.1%, coal 7%, and peat 6.8% of Ireland's average electricity demand. In 2020 wind turbines generated 36.3% of Ireland's electrical demand, one of the highest wind power proportions in the world. While the United Kingdom was one of the first countries in the world to deploy commercial nuclear power plants, the island of Ireland has never had a nuclear power plant built on either side of the Irish border. Nuclear power in Ireland was discussed in the 1960s and 1970s but ultimately never phased in, with legislation now in place explicitly forbidding its introduction.
SSE Renewables is a renewable energy subsidiary of SSE plc, which develops and operates onshore and offshore wind farms and hydroelectric generation in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Garves Wind Farm consists of 5 turbines with an installed capacity of 15 MW. It is located near Dunloy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is managed by Entap Limited on behalf of Garves Wind Limited. London-based project development company Your Energy Ltd bought the scheme from the original developer in 2007.
Electric Ireland is an Irish utility company that supplies electricity and gas to business and residential customers in Ireland. It is the supply division of the Electricity Supply Board, the former monopoly electricity company in Ireland. The company now operates in an open market competing for the supply of retail electricity to residential customers. Electric Ireland sells a variety of smart technology, including Electric Vehicle Home Chargers, solar PV panels, battery storage, which are also sold by Electric Ireland's online shop. Other major suppliers include Airtricity and, more recently, Bord Gáis Energy.
Ireland is a net energy importer. Ireland's import dependency decreased to 85% in 2014. The cost of all energy imports to Ireland was approximately €5.7 billion, down from €6.5 billion (revised) in 2013 due mainly to falling oil and, to a lesser extent, gas import prices. Consumption of all fuels fell in 2014 with the exception of peat, renewables and non-renewable wastes.
Viking Wind Farm is a large on-shore wind farm under construction in the Shetland Islands which is being developed by Viking Energy, a partnership between Shetland Islands Council and SSE plc. When complete, it will have a generation capacity of 443 MW.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to wind energy:
