Bord na Móna launches major climate-conscious jobs push

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the Bord na Móna announcement at the site of its €100m Cloncreen wind farm.

Bord na Móna has said it will create more than 1,400 jobs – mainly in the midlands region – within the next five years as it continues its transformation from a peat producer to a renewables and clean energy provider.

The semi-state company has already filled 550 of the positions over the past 18 months through its peatland rehabilitation process and the development of its renewable energy, carbon storage and recycling infrastructure interests.

An additional 885 jobs will come on stream in the next four-to-five years as the company further expands its “climate solutions” businesses. These jobs will be a mix of direct employment and partnerships with third parties.

Bord na Móna has numerous 100%-owned wind farm projects at various stages of planning, development and construction; as well as four joint-venture projects, covering a mix of wind and solar, with ESB and Coillte. However, the High Court last month overturned planning permission for a wind farm it planned to build in Co. Longford.

Bord na Móna undertook a major cost-cutting and restructuring round between 2018 and 2020, which saw its employee headcount decline by between 400 and 500 people – via a voluntary redundancy programme - and around €50m in cost savings realised.

However, now the company said its direct employment levels will return to “pre-transition” levels – last seen in 2018 – within the next five years.

Bord na Móna announced its jobs push at the site of its €100m Cloncreen wind farm, currently under construction in Co Offaly, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Environment and Climate Minister Eamon Ryan both attending.

The company said it plans to construct “a significant portion” of Ireland’s renewable energy infrastructure in the coming years. Already, 80% of Bord na Móna’s operations are now focused on renewable energy production, recycling, peatland rehabilitation and sustainable product development.

It said that by 2030 it will be able to supply a third of Irish homes with renewable energy.

Meanwhile, European renewable energy giant Statkraft has begun building what will be Ireland’s largest, and first to be constructed, solar energy farm. Located in Ballymacarney, Co. Meath, it will provide enough energy to power more than 40,000 homes when fully operational.

“Supporting and developing renewable energy, like solar, is the solution to some major challenges in the world – namely reducing our emissions and combatting climate change,” said Statkraft Ireland managing director Kevin O’Donovan.

Statkraft currently manages 16 onshore wind farms in Ireland. In addition, it has two onshore wind farms in construction and a further six expecting to go into construction by next year. It also has six solar farms with full planning permission being prepared for construction.