Pharmaceutical business Almac Group has signed an agreement to source part of its future power from a wind farm in Co Tyrone in a move it says will slash carbon emissions at its Craigavon headquarters by 95%.
It has signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) to source electricity from the Murley wind farm, owned by NTR Renewable Energy Income Fund II.
The 21.6 megawatts Murley facility located in the townlands of Killygordon, Edergole and Cole Glen Forest near Fivemiletown, features six wind turbines. It is currently in late-stage construction and is expected to be operational by July.
Almac has undergone significant expansion in recent years, with the group announcing hundreds of millions of pounds investment in 2022.
The Craigavon site currently employs more than 4,000 of Almac’s 7,000 global workforce, supporting pharma and biotech companies in their drug development process.
Almac’s share of the wind project from Murley will deliver 34GWh of renewable electricity annually.
Signing this agreement follows a number of recent steps taken by the group to support its 2045 net zero target, which include joining the Science Based targets Initiative (SBTi), which defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting.
“We are delighted to partner with NTR on this exciting project, which will allow us to power the operations at our Craigavon site with fully certified renewable energy,” said Niall Harkin, executive director at Almac Group.
“Almac’s participation in this project is a crucial step on our journey to net zero and will significantly reduce carbon emissions from the electricity we consume.
“As a global leader in providing a range of expert services and support across the drug development life-cycle, it is crucial we demonstrate our commitment to the long-term sustainability goals of the sector.
“I am hugely encouraged by the progress that we are making on our climate journey and proud to mark this significant milestone.”
Francisco Del Rio, associate director of power sales at NTR, said: “We’re hugely excited to be partnering with Almac on this long-term corporate power purchase agreement.
“Corporate PPAs play a critical role in not only supporting business’ sustainability goals but having a wider impact on driving the clean energy transition across Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe.”
Almac was advised by EY Dublin on the commercial side of the Power Purchase Agreement and by Pinsent Masons Belfast on the legal side.
