Amazon is investing in a new 47 megawatts wind farm near Swatragh

Amazon is investing in a new 47 megawatts wind farm in Co Derry.

It has signed a power purchase agreement for the 11-turbine Corlacky Hill wind farm, currently under construction near Swatragh.

The facility is projected to inject £2.5 million into the north’s economy, according to developer ERG.

And it will also support Amazon’s climate pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040.

Developer ERG Group, an independent producer of energy from renewable sources, is the leading wind operator in Italy, among the top 10 in the European market, and also active in solar power generation and energy storage systems, with a presence in nine European countries.

Amazon, which is best known as the world’s largest online retailer and marketplace, invested in more than 230 solar and wind projects across Europe in 2024, bringing new carbon-free energy sources to local grids and helping match the electricity consumed by its operations.

“We are committed to providing the infrastructure and services our customers need, while also helping powering our operations more sustainably,” said Lindsay McQuade, director of energy at Amazon in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“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.”

Across the island of Ireland, Amazon has enabled a total of six wind farms which, when completed, will provide 373 megawatts of carbon free energy, which is enough to power the equivalent of around 300,000 homes.

For the fifth year in a row, Amazon is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally, according to Bloomberg, and it has supported more than 600 wind and solar projects to date.

Amazon continues to support the global transition to carbon-free energy and accelerating the decarbonisation of electricity grids.

Indeed, as part of a strategic collaboration with Bord na Móna, Amazon Web Services will, subject to planning consents, become the first business to join the Bord na Móna eco energy park.

Spread across around 7,500 acres of land in counties Offaly, Westmeath and Meath, the first of its kind eco park in Ireland will support large-scale industrial growth backed by wind and solar power, and flexible generation to support grid resiliency.

In addition, Amazon supports Ireland’s ambitious offshore wind targets, and its leadership in digital infrastructure presents a unique opportunity to drive forward climate, economic, and social goals.

Amazon, founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, says it met its 100% renewable energy goal seven years early in 2023, and has invested in enough renewable energy projects globally to power the equivalent of 24.6 million European homes.

The renewable energy projects it enables not only help match the electricity consumed by its global operations, but also provide new sources of carbon-free energy to the communities where its customers, sellers, and employees live and work.