Italian developer ERG Group has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Amazon for energy generated at a Northern Irish wind farm.
Amazon will procure energy generated at the 47.3MW Corlacky Hill wind farm. Construction of the Corlacky Hill wind power plant, in Co Derry, will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025, ERG said. Once completed and fully operational, the plant will comprise 11 Vestas V117 turbines, each generating 4.3MW. RES is overseeing construction for ERG, which owns the development.
The ‘pay-as-produced’ agreement covers the supply of about 2.5TWh of renewable energy, with Corlacky’s annual production estimated at 176GWh.
Paolo Merli, CEO of ERG, said the contract with Amazon confirms ERG’s leadership role in the PPA market. He explained that PPAs are “fundamental tools for stabilising revenues in a volatile price scenario”.
Amazon, which is the world’s largest online retailer and marketplace, invested in over 230 wind and solar projects across Europe in 2024. This includes a corporate PPA with ENGIE for a 473MW share of Ocean Winds’ 882MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland and 159MW from the 1.4GW East Anglia offshore wind farm.
The company has become one of the largest solar and wind energy procurers globally. By the end of 2025, it aims to match all the electricity powering its operations with 100% renewable energy.
Amazon’s EMEA director of energy, Lindsay McQuade, said: “We recognise that the electrification of our society, along with digitalisation, requires investment in energy sources and grids we depend on if we are to access the full potential of AI.
“That’s why we have invested in so many solar and wind projects in Europe, making us Europe and the world’s largest corporate renewable energy purchaser in 2024.”
Amazon’s focus in Ireland has also seen it procure power for the data centres supporting its Amazon Web Services (AWS) arm. At the end of April 2024, Bord na Móna announced a strategic collaboration with AWS that saw it become the first business to join the climate solutions company’s Eco Energy Park.
The energy park will deliver wind and solar power and flexible generation to support grid stability and develop grid connections. Businesses can then co-locate their operations at the site. In this case, Amazon’s data centres will benefit from renewable energy generation, and the deal saw AWS commit to investing in up to 800MW of new renewable energy projects in Ireland.