Today ERG hosted a high-level institutional panel alongside a site visit to Corlacky Wind Farm, the company’s most recent project in Northern Ireland.
The panel, “Unlocking Renewable Investment in Northern Ireland”, held in Limavady, focused on the conditions required to secure long-term investment in renewable energy, strengthen energy security and support economic growth across Northern Ireland. Participants included Renato Sturani, COO of ERG S.p.A, Luca Fratini, Consul General of Italy in Edinburgh, Alan Campbell, Chief Executive of SONI, Northern Ireland’s electricity Transmission System Operator, and Rachel Sankannawar, Project Director, Energy Group, Department for the Economy.
The discussion explored the main challenges facing the sector, including grid constraints, and the need for a clearer regulatory framework to support future development. Participants highlighted how current grid limitations and high levels of renewable energy curtailment are undermining revenue certainty, delaying the deployment of renewable energy projects and discouraging further private investment, despite Northern Ireland’s significant renewable energy potential.
Renato Sturani, COO of ERG, commented: “Northern Ireland has all the characteristics to become a renewable energy success story: strong wind resources, a solid supply chain and ambitious climate targets. Renewables are essential to lower energy bills, but almost a quarter of wind energy generation is being cut because the grid cannot transport all the energy from the point of generation to the point of demand at the right time. This means that a significant amount of clean energy is being wasted, representing a lost opportunity for consumers, businesses and local communities. The resulting uncertainty undermines investment decisions, limiting job creation, economic benefits, and future growth. To unlock the next phase of renewable development, Northern Ireland needs a stable and predictable framework and greater grid flexibility to reduce curtailment, while giving investors the certainty needed to back new projects.”
ERG is the third-largest renewable energy operator in Northern Ireland and has invested around £180 million in the region to date. During the event ERG reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Northern Ireland, where it currently operates three wind farms, Craiggore, Evishagaran and Corlacky, with a combined installed capacity of approximately 118 MW.
ERG has a deep relationship with the communities hosting its projects and is committed to generating value beyond power generation. Since 2022, ERG has supported local communities with a total of approximately £1 million through community benefits contributing to local organisations, and projects that strengthen social inclusion, wellbeing, education, community facilities and environmental sustainability in the areas surrounding its wind farms. Part of this is managed by the Evishagaran & Craiggore Community Benefit Fund, established in 2022 and administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
Through this long-term commitment, ERG seeks to create value beyond electricity generation, supporting local communities while delivering a more secure, affordable and sustainable energy system for consumers. The Corlacky Wind Farm is a tangible example of this approach and of ERG’s commitment to further investment in Northern Ireland, provided the right regulatory conditions are in place.
