Carrigaline, Cobh and West Cork will see expansions in solar panels
10:14, 24 Jun 2026Updated 10:33, 24 Jun 2026
Declan Cullinane, Managing Director of Amarenco, Ken Gaine, Business Development Director, Greenvolt Next at the site in Carrigaline(Image: Greenvolt)
With the late June heatwave bringing endless hours of sunshine to Munster – and fears about fossil-fuelled climate change – it looks like a good time to announce 3 new solar farms for Cork.
Green energy installation experts Greenvolt Next have confirmed a partnership with Cork’s Amarenco for the construction of the new solar farms at sites in Carrigaline, Cobh and Timoleague. Between them, these new solar farms will generate enough clean energy to power 38,000 homes. Works will be completed by mid-2027.
Amarenco was founded in Cork in 2013 by the late John Mullins ( who died suddenly in April of last year ) and Alain Desvigne and is now one of the leading renewable energy companies in Europe, with international projects and a core workforce of 200.
Once complete, the three new solar farms will have a combined installed capacity of 32MW, generating enough clean electricity to power around 38,000 homes each year. The developers say the land remains in local ownership, safeguarded for future generations to use as they see fit.
As part of the solar farms’ development, Amarenco say they have “extensive ecological plans to increase the biodiversity of each location. It will integrate its ECHO soil health monitoring programme across all three sites. Amarenco works with local ecologists taking soil samples to establish exactly what the land needs to regenerate and restore the soil’s capacity to absorb carbon emissions, promote biodiversity and retain water.”
Community Benefit Funds will also be established once the projects are operational which will help to support community and sports projects and initiatives in each locality.
Owen Power, CEO of Greenvolt Next Ireland and UK commented: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Amarenco that will see Greenvolt Next construct three major solar farm sites in Cork. Through the integration of state-of-the-art technology, Amarenco will benefit from considerable volumes of solar energy, helping it to lead the way in the green energy space. The development of solar farms of this scale offers significant energy security, helping to reduce the impact of energy price volatility while offering stability in terms of business performance.”
Declan Cullinane, Managing Director of Amarenco said: “This is a significant milestone for Amarenco’s business as we move forward with the installation of three large solar farms across our Cork sites in conjunction with Greenvolt Next. Once complete, they will generate enough clean energy from the sun to power the homes of Carrigaline, Cobh and Timoleague combined. A project of this scale meant we needed a partner with the vision, resources and expertise to complement our capabilities. Together with Greenvolt Next, we will deliver a project that sets a new benchmark for large-scale renewable energy development in Ireland. We look forward to working closely with the communities in each area in the years to come.”