Pioneering sustainability for greener growth in Ireland as Bord na Móna and AWS join forces
Bord na Móna and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a strategic collaboration that will see AWS become the first business to join Bord na Móna’s first Eco Energy Park in the Midlands. Photo shows: Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy, EMEA, Amazon Web Services, and Tom Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bord na Móna, at an event in the Conrad Hotel, Dublin, to celebrate the announcement.
In April 2024, Bord na Móna announced a strategic collaboration with AWS (Amazon Web Services) making AWS the first business to join Bord na Móna's Eco Energy Park in the Midlands.
This Eco Energy Park is the first of its kind in Ireland and will allow Bord na Móna to support large scale industrial growth in Ireland in a sustainable manner while enhancing the national grid.
First announced in 2021, Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park offering provides a tangible solution to a critical challenge for Ireland’s economic and social progress, meeting the needs of high energy demand companies across a range of sectors, while keeping Ireland on track by supporting the accelerated delivery of its climate action goals.
Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park will effectively co-locate a variety of renewable and low-carbon energy generation assets alongside large energy users, such as AWS, from a range of sectors.
Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park will generate enough renewable energy to meet the needs of several vital sectors crucial to Ireland's social and economic progress including, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Agrifood, ICT, Transport and Logistics.
As part of this strategic collaboration with Bord na Móna, AWS has developed a pathway to develop data centres in the Midlands which will be powered by a range of renewable technologies.
AWS has also signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for Derrinlough Wind Farm, which will enable AWS to pursue low carbon growth in its data centre operations in line with Government’s Principles for Sustainable Data Centre Development.
Bord na Móna is investing significantly in its Eco Energy Park to create the ideal environment in which business tenants like AWS can co-locate and decarbonise their operations — including investment in wind and solar power projects, flexible generation to support grid resiliency when required, as well as the development of new electricity grid connections.
Speaking about Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park offering, John Reilly, Head of Renewables at Bord na Móna, said: “Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park, by co-locating large energy users with sources of renewable power in the Midlands, will unlock new opportunities to industries facing energy constraints in other parts of the country, helping to drive significant economic activity in a sustainable manner across the region.”
Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Parks will not only aid these industries in achieving low-carbon operational growth but will also substantially contribute to, and bolster, associated enterprises, community initiatives, local amenities, and the preservation of the local natural environment. Hundreds of construction jobs will be created during the construction phase, and a significant multi-annual Community Benefit Fund will provide support to local projects and groups.
This collaboration between Bord na Móna and AWS is a significant step forward for Ireland's renewable energy efforts, emphasising collaboration, sustainability, and a strong dedication to environmental progress.
The confirmation of the first tenant at Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park also marks another significant milestone in Bord na Móna's journey towards becoming Irelands’ leading renewable energy provider andBo will support the accelerated delivery of Bord na Móna’s ambitious renewable energy infrastructure pipeline of 5GW.
It was just over five years ago when Bord na Móna first embarked on its ambitious Brown to Green journey to transition fully from a traditional peat business to a climate solutions and renewable energy company in Ireland.
This journey was completed last year following the closure of Bord na Móna’s last remaining peat factory at Derrinlough and the final supply of peat to its Edenderry Power Plant.
Moving forward the company is 100% committed to the continued expansion of its climate solutions and renewable energy portfolio to support Ireland in achieving its ambitious renewable energy requirements by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050.
Tom Donnellan, CEO of Bord na Móna, said: “Having completed our own sustainability journey, we're committed to supporting other businesses on theirs. We're excited to welcome Amazon Web Services and are looking forward to welcoming other industry leaders across a range of industries to join the Bord na Móna Eco Energy Park in the coming years.”
Building partnerships with established renewable energy companies is key to Bord na Móna’s plans for expanding energy supply in the country. These collaborations enable Bord na Móna to combine expertise and resources to enhance green energy production. Moreover, industry partnerships play a crucial role in accelerating Ireland's national green energy initiatives and meeting renewable energy targets by the end of the decade.
