My Job: Charles Coyle on a landmark year for solar firm Amarenco

Development project manager Charles Coyle: ‘The work doesn’t end when a project is built, there will be ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and decommissioning.’ Picture: Alison Miles / OSM

A NORMAL week for Charles Coyle involves interacting with a wide range of people and professionals.

“On any given day, I could be discussing archaeology, ecology, or investment and engaging with planning consultants, legal teams, local landowners, and the community or speaking about the grid with EirGrid or ESB Networks.”

A good deal of consideration goes into the location of the company’s solar projects, ensuring they are suitably placed.

“As part of the preparatory work, we carry out extensive ecological, geological, noise and flood surveys, looking at the overall biodiversity of a site and taking soil samples. We spend a lot of time in the communities where our potential projects are located and get to know the locals, farmers, and landowners.”

2026 is an important year for Amarenco, he agrees: “Ireland is a key market for the wider Amarenco Group as we work to speed up the transition to clean energy. We have three solar projects under construction, and we’re getting the next set of projects ready to begin next year. We have ambitious plans to deliver even more projects by the end of the decade and a lot of that work starts now. We have a few years to get everything to a place where the construction team can take it over to align with our 2030 targets.”

Biggest Irish development

The Modeligo Solar project near Cappoquin, Waterford, is the company’s biggest development in Ireland to date, extending to 145 hectares, involving seven landowners and bringing together three sites that previously received planning permission from Waterford City and County Council.

“There is high demand for new electricity connections in Ireland, similar to other European countries, and large-scale projects like this will help to provide additional capacity and remove our reliance on fossil fuels — I am really proud of leading the way through a project like Modeligo. We are constantly learning and innovating.”

He adds that larger projects, generating more clean electricity, also means a bigger Community Benefit Fund for those living close to the development.

“This fund, designed to enhance social, economic, and environmental wellbeing, will amount to €240,000 a year for 15 years, and will open for applications once the site is fully operational. Community engagement is an integral part of this project, and we are committed to working closely with the landowners and the wider community.”

Similarly, the Greenvolt Next project of three solar farms to supply 38,000 homes at Carrigaline, Cobh, and Timoleague marks another significant development for the company in 2026.

“These projects have been in development for a number of years, and we are looking forward to when they are exporting to the grid. Greenvolt are managing every aspect of these developments from construction through to completion. They’re a great company to work with, and it’s wonderful to see the teams on the ground at each location.

“At Amarenco, it’s important for us to use local suppliers and sustain local jobs where possible, giving back to the communities where our projects are based.”

Celtic interconnector

The Celtic interconnector cable will enable the exchange of 700MW of electricity between Ireland and France, across a distance of 575km, with 500km of the cable running under the sea. The interconnector will have the capacity to supply electricity to 450,000 homes, making an important contribution to shoring up Ireland’s security of electricity supply by providing a direct link to continental Europe.

“Recent global events exposed just how vulnerable Ireland’s energy market is to international price shocks.

“Unlike fossil fuels, solar power isn’t subject to daily price swings. However, unlocking the full potential of solar and other renewables requires a parallel focus on grid security and infrastructure. We need to upgrade transmission and distribution networks, enhancing interconnection and deploying smart grid technologies that can manage fluctuating supply and demand in real time. A resilient, modernised grid is the backbone of Ireland’s energy transition.”

Given that the Celtic interconnector will travel from East Cork to the north-west coast of Brittany, Mr Coyle underlines the importance of having the Amarenco headquarters located in Cork.

“It’s where it all began and where most of our Irish developments are located. I think it means a lot to the landowners and the communities we work with too.

“Cork is a hub for renewable energy and it is exciting to be part of that.”

John Mullins a visionary

He adds that the late company founder, John Mullins, was a visionary entrepreneur and a passionate climate protection advocate.

“He was a very proud Cork man, involved in so much locally, community was really important to him and we are committed to continuing what he started.”

However, while significant progress has been made in the renewable energy sector, we still have a long way to go in solar, onshore/offshore wind, storage and hydrogen.

“As humans, our demand for power is gradually increasing as we become more reliant on digital technologies and move away from fossil fuels.

“When I was in college, there were no renewable energy courses. Now, there are courses and programmes in every university and institute in Ireland.”

Encompassing a broad area that is not limited to engineering or construction, he points to the fact that there are now legal teams and other professionals who now specialise in renewables.

“The work doesn’t end when a project is built either, there will be ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and eventually decommissioning. Future generations of our families will look back and ask what we did. I want to be able to say I did something.”

As to what is the most rewarding part of his job, Mr Coyle points to knowing the work actively contributes toward addressing one of the biggest challenges in the world today: Climate change.

“I knew I would have kids one day, and always wanted to leave the world in a better place for them. Now, I have an amazing wife and three young boys. It’s very satisfying to see projects through their full life-cycle from initial concept, meeting the landowner, construction and then connection to the grid. I also love that no two days are the same.”