SSE Renewables wants to invest around £40million into Omagh and Strabane’s local economy from developing new wind farms in the area over the next four years.
The company is Northern Ireland’s leading renewable energy developer and promises the project would boost local jobs and enterprise.
By developing its 87MW pipeline of wind farms in the Omagh and Strabane area SSE Renewables estimates it will spend over £40million of its total project investment with local supply chain businesses during construction.
SSE Renewables also estimates that its project pipeline can support the creation of around 50 new jobs in 2014 as the projects moves from planning into pre-construction. This would increase to around 250 each year from 2015 to 2017 as each wind farm project moves into the construction phase.
This projected support by SSE Renewables for local jobs and small businesses in Omagh and Strabane follows the company’s recent delivery of its 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Co. Derry, officially opened last month by the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA.
£36million of SSE’s total £125million capital investment cost on Slieve Kirk Wind Park was spent directly with over 70 local supply chain businesses located within 50 miles of the wind farm.
The deputy First Minister praised SSE’s important contribution to the northwest by investing £36million in the local community and businesses, which he said, “demonstrates the real economic impact from renewable energy and reinforces the value of our green economy.”
SSE Renewables has plans to develop around 87MW of wind energy at proposed wind farm sites in the Omagh district. These include wind farms at Binnawooda (29.9MW), Dunnaree Hill (13.8MW), Greenan Mountain (11.5MW) and Bessy Bell 3 (32.2MW) which are currently in planning.
If developed, the green energy generated at these sites will have the capacity to power over 80,000 homes for Northern Ireland's second largest energy provider Airtricity and will significantly decarbonise energy generation in the country.
Kerry Muldoon, SSE Renewables Northern Ireland Development Manager, said: “At SSE, we believe passionately in doing more to support the local communities in which we operate.
"Through the development of Slieve Kirk Wind Park we’ve been proud to have invested £36million into local businesses through the construction of the wind farm, providing real economic support where and when it’s needed during these challenging times.
"In this way we have demonstrated our ongoing commitment to our communities by ensuring that local workers and the local supply chain reap the benefit of the delivery of wind energy, not just during construction but also through to operation.
“In Omagh and Strabane we intend to demonstrate that same level of commitment to local communities, to local jobs and to the local economy if we proceed with our 87MW pipeline of wind farm projects in the area. We estimate that over the next four years we will spend over £40million with local businesses and suppliers around Omagh and Strabane through the construction of these projects."