Ireland’s solar pipeline is set for a significant lift as ILOS Energy secures a €143 million debt finance facility from Danske Bank to fund the 217 MW Ballyhea solar farm in Co Cork. Work began in April and is already running ahead of schedule, marking strong momentum for one of the country’s largest utility scale developments to date.

The Ballyhea project, developed with Soleire Renewables, will span around 500 acres and generate clean power for approximately 39,000 homes. It comes as construction of the separate 220 MW Erkina solar farm in Co Tipperary nears completion following €130 million of investment. The Erkina site began its energisation process with EirGrid in late October and is expected to start exporting to the grid in December.

Combined, the two projects will deliver almost 440 MW of capacity, increasing Ireland’s operational solar fleet by about 25 percent at a time when grid decarbonisation is accelerating. ILOS Energy and Soleire Renewables are also progressing four additional utility scale projects across eastern Ireland, adding further weight to the country’s 2030 ambitions.

Mark Varian, managing director for ILOS Energy in Ireland, highlighted the significance of the financing milestone and the near completion of the Tipperary project. He noted that these developments will make a measurable contribution to national climate targets while strengthening security of supply.

With further large scale schemes in the pipeline, ILOS Energy’s expanding portfolio signals growing investor confidence and underscores the strategic role of solar in Ireland’s future energy mix.

Explore the full article for an in depth look at Ireland’s accelerating solar build out.