Greencoat Renewables — the power-generating firm whose shares are listed in Dublin and London — has paid up to €281m to buy out most of the stakes held by Coillte in four wind farms, as the firm expands in Ireland by spending some of the proceeds it raised from the market.

Coillte is to pay the Government an interim dividend of €2m for the first half of 2012.

PLANNING permission has been granted for a proposed wind farm development due to be jointly run by the ESB and Coillte, the state-owned forestry and renewable energy company.