European engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Greencells Group has signed a contract with Irish electricity supplier Electricity Supply Board (ESB) for an expansion of a solar power plant.
Greencells will provide EPC services for Drombeg Phase 2, a 44 MW expansion of the 50 MW Drombeg Solar Park in County Kerry, Ireland. The company had already worked with ESB on the first phase of the solar power plant, which is expected to be commissioned in autumn 2025.
The first phase of the project was granted planning permission in May 2019 and a contract was awarded at the second Irish Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) auction in 2022. Drombeg Phase 2 was awarded a contract in RES 4 in 2024.
With a total capacity of 99 MW, the two phases of the Drombeg Solar Park will be among the largest solar power stations in Ireland.
Earlier this year, ESB has brought online a 108MW solar power plant in County Kildarea project developed in a joint venture with fellow semi-state energy company Bord na Mona. It is one of four solar power plants planned under a joint development agreement between the companies, which will provide up to 500 MW of solar capacity.
In the first seven months of this year Irish solar generated more electricity than in all of 2024as the country’s solar power plants accounted for an increasing share of the electricity mix.
The recognition of the country’s potential has led to several clean energy companies seeking to establish themselves in the market, with private investment companies recently Ardian acquires the Irish energy company Energia Groupand its “attractive pipeline of new wind, solar and battery energy storage (BESS) capacity,” from I Squared Capital.
