Tag: #carlow

Ørsted starts construction on second Irish Solar Farm

Ørsted has begun construction on its second Irish solar farm in Ballinrea, located between Carrigaline and Cork City.

Once completed, the 55MW solar project will have the potential to generate enough electricity to power 16,000 homes.

Awarded a RESS 4 contract in September 2024, it’s expected the solar farm will be fully operational in 2026. Ballinrea marks Ørsted’s second solar project to take off in Ireland – following the 81 MW first phase of Garreenleen Solar Farm in Co. Carlow, on which construction began in June last year.

In solar, Ørsted’s current pipeline stands at over 700 MW, supporting the Irish Government’s 8 GW solar energy target by 2030. The investment in Ballinrea is the twenty first advanced or operational onshore wind and solar project in Ireland, powering the equivalent of 250,000 homes nationwide.

Commenting on the news, TJ Hunter, Vice President Onshore in UK & Ireland at Ørsted, said: “I am delighted to confirm that we’ve begun construction on our second Irish solar farm in Ballinrea. If we are to ultimately achieve a green energy future in Ireland, solar is a fundamental piece of the jigsaw. We have a strong solar pipeline currently at over 700 MW and we will continue to look at opportunities for solar projects in Ireland to help the government achieve its target of 8 GW of solar energy target 2030”.

“2024 marked Ørsted’s biggest ever construction year with 1.5 GW of onshore renewables and 6.7 GW of offshore wind currently in construction across the globe. While challenges remain, we are confident we are going in the right direction to create an energy system run on clean, reliable and renewable power”. 

Ørsted has also bolstered its presence in Ireland, relocating to a brand-new office space on Albert Quay, Cork. The high-specification office is Ørsted’s onshore headquarters for Europe employing over 100 people, with the ambition of growing that number. Ørsted’s investment in Ireland has reached €800 million, across a mixed portfolio of wind and solar projects. 

Carlow based company @FeverDefence secures €1m investment for fever detection device #IrishBiz #FeverDefence

Carlow-based company, Xenon, has announced today that it has secured €1m in funding for their handsfree, infrared temperature testing device – Fever Defence.

The investment was made by New York based venture capitalists Antonio Ruiz-Gimenez and Kerry Propper. Fever Defence is a standalone device that uses a thermal imaging camera and facial detection camera to test people’s temperature, upon entry to a building or site.

The non-contact device measures skin temperature in less than one second, and is accurate up to ±0.3°C. Upon reading the temperature, it then alerts the individual of the result using a red and green light stop-go system and an audible notification if a potential fever temperature is detected.

Commenting on the investment, Paddy Byrne, Managing Director of Xenon Fever Defence, said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which will help us to scale our operations across Europe and the United States.

“Employers are moving quickly to put additional safety measures in place to protect their workplaces and their customers against the risk of COVID-19. Our devices have been installed at companies and organisations across a number of different industries – from construction sites and offices to retail and childcare settings in the Irish, European and US markets.  

“Fever Defence acts as the first layer of defence for businesses, as they navigate their way through operating during the pandemic. This funding will allow us to expand our reach, and help organisations across the globe in reopening for business as soon and as safely as possible.”

Managing Partner of ATW Partners, Antonio Ruiz-Giménez, said that Fever Defence provides a smart solution for businesses worldwide as they begin to reopen: “The COVID-19 crisis has meant that businesses and organisations have had to reimagine the way they work, and the safety measures they have in place. 

“Fever Defence will help create safer environments for people to be in, which is something we fully support. The product has excellent market potential and we are looking forward to working with the team to help them advance and scale in Ireland, Europe, the US and beyond.”