Tuesday 15th July 2025 - Activ8 Solar Energies, Ireland’s leading solar provider, in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Liffey Meats, announces the official energisation of the Liffey Meats Solar Farm, Ireland’s largest behind-the-meter co-located renewable energy installation. This landmark €3 million project combines a 4.5MW solar farm with an existing 3MW wind turbine at Liffey Meats’ facility in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, marking a major milestone for renewable energy integration within Ireland’s agri-food sector.
Minister Niamh Smyth, attended the launch of the project, highlighting the significance of the development as a model for Ireland’s renewable energy future and a testament to successful collaboration between public and private sectors.
The Liffey Meats Solar Farm is one of the largest behind-the-meter solar projects in Ireland, and by combining solar and wind generation onsite, it will significantly enhance energy resilience for Liffey Meats while delivering major carbon savings. The solar farm is made up of 6,640 solar panels, each with an output of 700w, generating enough clean energy to offset 590,000kg of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“This installation is not just about energy savings; it represents a significant step forward for how industrial energy users in Ireland can adopt renewables at scale,” said Ciarán Marron, CEO of Activ8 Energies. “We’re proud to deliver a project that shows what is possible through innovation and partnership.”
Representing SEAI, Declan Meally, Director of Business, added: “Projects like this demonstrate the importance of combining ambition with practical solutions. Co-located renewable energy systems provide the opportunity to maximise the benefit of electrical energy infrastructure and are the kind of innovation Ireland needs to meet its climate commitments.”
Derek McDermott, CFO, Liffey Meats said: “This investment reinforces our commitment to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. By generating renewable energy onsite, we’re ensuring long-term energy resilience for our operations, contributing meaningfully to Ireland’s climate goals, and our target to deliver a carbon neutral value chain.”
The project’s main goals include providing energy resilience for the client, reducing onsite carbon emissions, contributing to Ireland’s 2030 climate targets, and achieving substantial energy savings. The initiative was supported by grant funding from SEAI under the Non-Domestic Microgeneration Grant (NDMG) scheme and created employment for approximately 60 people during peak construction.
This is the first large-scale co-location of solar and wind energy to be connected at this scale in Ireland. To enable safe and efficient operation of both the existing 3MW wind turbine and the new 4.5MW solar farm, a state-of-the-art SCADA system was implemented to meet ESBN and EirGrid regulations, setting a new benchmark for hybrid renewable energy projects in the country.
Read the full details about this project; here
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