Cork wind farm owner SSE employs 1500

Business

Cork wind farm owner SSE employs 1500

Energy giant SSE, owner of energy supplier Airtricity and a major investor and employer in Cork city and county, has invested over €2 billion since 2008.

Friday, 21 June 2013
12:00 AM GMT



Investment in Ireland exceeds €2bn

Energy giant SSE, owner of energy supplier Airtricity and a major investor and employer in Cork city and county, has invested the equivalent of €1 million every day for the last five years, bringing its total investment in Ireland to over €2 billion since 2008. SSE operates three wind farms in Co Cork and maintains over 55,000 street lights in Cork city and county.

SSE currently has over 1500 direct and indirect employees. The company is this week celebrating its 5th birthday in Ireland. The company's €2 billion investment over the last five years establishes the company as Ireland’s second largest energy provider. Its energy supply business Airtricity supplies gas and electricity to over 830,000 customers nationwide

SSE’s wind farms – Coomatallin Wind Farm near Dunmanway, Coomacheo Wind Farm near Millstreet, and Curragh Wind Farm between Millstreet and Ballyvourney – generate a total of 66MW of green energy to power over 30,000 homes. In addition, SSE’s street lighting business Airtricity Utility Solutions operates a depot at Little Island, Cork, out of which its 10 electrical technician and administrative staff maintain around 55,000 street lights across the city and county.

Ian Marchant, SSE plc’s outgoing chief executive and architect of SSE’s significant Irish success over the last five years was joined by Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, at an event to mark SSE’s investment and job creation in Ireland and to celebrate the acquisition of its new Dublin-based corporate headquarters.

Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources said he would like to acknowledge the company’s continued commitment to and confidence in the Irish economy. "I welcome the fact that SSE now has over 1500 people in employment on the island.”

Mr Marchant, SSE Chief Executive, said: “From small beginnings in 2008 when we acquired the renewable energy business Airtricity, SSE’s activities in Ireland have expanded rapidly to offer our customers a broad range of high quality customer services. Five years on our growth translates to €2 billion invested in Ireland or just over €1 million every day since 2008.

“From just 160 employees in 2008, SSE now employs over 1500 people in Ireland across its range of energy businesses including energy generation, supply and services; thermal and renewable development; and public lighting and electrical contracting. SSE is also constructing Ireland’s newest 460MW gas-fired electricity generation unit at Great Island, Co. Wexford due to be commissioned in spring 2014.”



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