Community Benefit Fund

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As long-term owners, developers, and operators of renewable energy assets we seek to be active partners in the communities in which we develop projects.


We believe in giving back to the communities in which we work. In line with funds we have established in Scotland, we intend to offer an annual fund of £5,000 per MW. Depending on the final project design, this means a total fund of £300k-£335k per year which will be shared between community organisations surrounding the development. It will provide financial support to worthwhile initiatives that benefit the local community and local council area, enhance the local economy, and build social infrastructure.

We emphasise support to organisations that engage in:

  • Community Services
  • Educational Programmes
  • Medical and Health Assistance
  • Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

How will the Community Benefit Fund be distributed?


It is essential for Ørsted that Community Benefit Funds are distributed in an open and transparent manner. We believe that the process should be designed and decided on by the community. We usually engage an independent organisation with experience in managing community funds to assist us with the process, from consulting the local community on the design and management of the fund, inviting applications to the fund, recruiting a panel to review applications, to distributing funds to successful projects. If you are interested in becoming involved in this process, please let us know and we will contact you once it begins.

Wind Energy

 
Wind turbines harness the power of the wind to generate renewable electricity. Wind is one of the world’s fastest growing renewable energy sources and has become a major component in the energy mix. Wind power is clean, cost effective and does the same job as fossil fuels but generates much less waste. Northern Ireland has one of Europe’s strongest wind resources creating significant potential for the deployment of wind power to increase the proportion of energy produced from renewable sources. This trend is expected to continue as:

  • The costs of wind energy continue to fall
  • Threats to energy security persist across the globe
  • The need to tackle climate change becomes increasingly urgent
  • For the 12 month period January 2023 to December 2023, 45.8% of total electricity consumption in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources located in Northern Ireland. Wind energy contributed 83% of all renewable electricity during this period. (source: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/electricity-consumption-and-renewable-generation-statistics)
  • The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 received Royal Assent on 6 June 2022.  The Act includes a target for net-zero emissions by 2050 as well as a set of interim targets for 2030 and 2040. It states “The Department for the Economy must ensure that at least 80% of electricity consumption is from renewable sources by 2030.”*  One of the key ways to achieve this target is by increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the electricity sector. The recent energy crisis has highlighted our over-reliance on fossil fuels from overseas. Installing wind farms, such as this one, will help to secure Northern Ireland’s energy independence and help to shield us from excessive fossil fuel prices.
*Source: The Department of Economy