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Household retail chain Ikea has agreed a deal with Mainstream Renewable Power to buy its 7.65MW Carrickeeny Wind Farm as part of a sustainability project to power its Belfast and Dublin superstores.
The Sweden-based company has plans to invest £1.5bn globally in wind energy and solar programmes up to 2015 in an effort to generate as much renewable energy as it consumes by 2020. This acquisition will increase the total number of wind turbines that the Ikea Group has committed to owning and operating to 137.
Eddie O’Connor, Mainstream Renewable Power chief executive, said: “Owning wind and solar plant makes a lot of sense for them on a number of levels. As the cost of the fuel is free the more of it they have the more stability and certainty they have in relation to their energy costs in the long-term.
“On top of that the more forward -thinking corporations are investing in wind and solar energy as part of their sustainability strategy, and Ikea is a fantastic example of this.”
Mainstream has commenced construction of the project which is located in Leitrim in the north west of Ireland and it is expected to be operational in early 2014 at which point Ikea will purchase the plant. As part of the deal Mainstream will continue operate and maintain the wind farm on behalf of Ikea for its 20 year lifespan.
Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability Ikea UK and Ireland said: “Companies, individuals or governments – we all have responsibility to address the resource dilemma and commit to a more sustainable future.
“Producing our own, affordable, renewable electricity gets us one step closer to becoming completely energy independent by 2020, while ensuring our commercial success.”
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