Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, has officially opened its 13th global office in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland.
This well-serviced regional hub offers the ideal location due to its position in the heart of Ireland's burgeoning green energy sector. The west of Ireland is known for its abundant natural resources along with some of the strongest onshore wind speeds in Europe. The new office location provides direct access to these resources and proximity to key renewable energy developments.
Ciaran Farrell, Natural Power’s Country Director for Ireland, said: “Establishing a new office on the west coast of Ireland offers Natural Power a strategic advantage, combining access to a highly skilled and educated workforce with a vibrant innovation ecosystem. This location provides seamless connectivity to both European and North American markets, supported by Ireland's favourable business environment and growing renewable energy sector.
“Under the Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan, the targets for 2030 are 9GW of onshore wind, 5GW of offshore wind and 8GW of solar PV. This Castlebar location is very well placed to support both existing projects in the region and the development of additional renewable capacity in line with Ireland’s climate objectives.”
The Castlebar office will serve as a key regional hub for navigating the complex regulatory and technical landscape associated with renewable energy projects. The team provides expert guidance including advisory and analytics, due diligence, consenting and environmental impact assessment, project management, construction, engineering and operations support across a range of existing and emerging technologies.
Alan Dillon, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, attended the official office opening. He said: “I am delighted to officially open this new office today and to welcome Natural Power to the business community in Castlebar. Co Mayo and the wider region offers a supportive business environment with excellent infrastructure, competitive operating costs, and strong governmental support for green initiatives. This new regional location for Natural Power bolsters employment opportunities in the wider region and attractiveness of the west of Ireland as a great place to live and work. The west of Ireland is also well known for its abundant natural resources along with some of the strongest onshore wind speeds in Europe.
“The Government’s Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP 24) reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 9 GW of onshore wind capacity, 8 GW of solar capacity and at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity to be connected by 2030 to meet the requirement of 80% of electricity demand supplied by renewables. This will require unseen levels of investment in renewable electricity generation development and in the infrastructure required to expand and strengthen our electricity grid. Accordingly, this latest investment by Natural Power is welcomed as it further facilitates the development of renewable energy resources and in turn, our progress towards our 2030 targets.”
The Castlebar office is a modern, well-equipped and high-connectivity space that ensures seamless communication with clients and colleagues globally. It is strategically located within the dynamic innovation hub of the Atlantic Technological University (ATU), offering Natural Power’s team access to state-of-the-art facilities designed to foster creativity and collaboration. Being part of the innovation hub also ensures the business can tap into a vibrant community of professionals and startups, providing opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing and the potential for collaboration with local enterprises to enhance its offering and support the wider development of regional innovation.
Furthermore, the close proximity to nearby universities, including ATU and the University of Galway, facilitates collaboration opportunities for relevant renewable energy-focused academic research projects. Natural Power actively engages with students through graduate programme recruitment initiatives, ensuring that it attracts the brightest minds in renewable energy.
Natural Power first entered the Irish market in 2013 when it opened its Dublin office and the Irish team is already supporting some of the sector's most influential projects including Codling Wind Park (the largest Phase 1 offshore wind project currently in development in Ireland), ESB’s offshore wind farm developments, Buchan offshore wind farm (Scotland), several European interconnector projects as well as various solar developments around the country.