Microsoft secures wind power offtake for Irish data centres

SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland have sealed a deal with Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) to supply the US technology giant with green electricity from their 30.1-MW Lenalea wind farm in Ireland.

The unit of UK utility SSE plc (LON:SSE) said on Thursday that Microsoft will procure the entire output of the plant’s seven turbines, backing its goal to power its data centre operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. The duration of the long-term corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) was not specified.

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The recently commissioned Lenalea Wind Farm near Letterkenny, County Donegal, is expected to have an output equal to the electricity consumption of 20,000 homes annually. The installation of its seven Vestas V117-4.3MW turbines was finalised last summer.

The new PPA adds to Microsoft’s 900-MW power procurement in Ireland arranged in November 2022. About 216 MW of the contracted wind and solar projects are already in operation and a further 250 MW will go online this year.

In support of its goal of having its entire electricity consumption matched by zero-carbon energy purchases by 2030, Microsoft this week signed a deal to offtake over 10.5 GW of renewable power in the US and Europe.