Elgin acquires consented 200MW project in County Meath
Independent power producer Elgin has bought the 200MW Blackhall Solar Farm in County Meath, Ireland, from German renewable energy company GP Joule, the company has confirmed. The site is described as a late‑stage development, with planning consent and grid connection arrangements already in place.
Elgin said the acquisition will both expand its late‑stage development pipeline in Ireland and increase the capacity it can enter into the upcoming sixth round of Ireland’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Elgin said it expects to invest approximately €200 million in developing and constructing the Blackhall project.
“Blackhall is one of the largest late‑stage solar development opportunities in the Irish market and represents a significant addition to Elgin’s Irish platform,” said Elgin chief executive Dermot Kelleher.
How the deal fits into Elgin’s wider programme
The acquisition follows a busy period for the Dublin‑headquartered developer, which was founded in 2009 and now employs around 130 people, with offices in Dublin, London, Rome and other locations. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners acquired a majority stake in Elgin in 2024, and the business says its development pipeline exceeds 10GW across solar and battery storage.
Elgin has already delivered more than 1GW of ready‑to‑build projects and has in excess of 300MW under construction across the UK and Ireland. In April 2026 the company secured up to £500 million of funding from a banking syndicate to accelerate the build‑out of its UK pipeline, and it has also been advancing projects in Ireland, including construction starts on other solar portfolios.
Local and market consequences
The Blackhall purchase comes ahead of Ireland’s sixth RESS auction, an important mechanism for the Irish Government’s objective to raise the share of renewable generation. The auction incorporates new non‑price criteria under the EU Net‑Zero Industry Act and separate pots for onshore wind and solar, and EirGrid is scheduled to announce results in January.
- Consent and grid connection are already in place for the Blackhall site, speeding potential delivery.
- Elgin plans roughly €200m of investment to develop and build the project.
- The acquisition increases Elgin’s eligible capacity for the RESS auction, helping the company compete for support contracts.
The move also reflects broader market activity. Mercom’s reporting on the first half of 2026 showed substantial consolidation of solar assets, with approximately 25.2GW of projects changing hands in that period.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Blackhall capacity | 200MW |
| Expected Elgin investment | €200 million |
| Elgin employees | 130 |
| Elgin development pipeline | >10GW |
| Funding secured April 2026 | £500 million |
What this means for energy and policy in Ireland and beyond
For Ireland, the addition of a consented, grid‑connected 200MW solar asset strengthens the pool of projects that can bid for long‑term revenue support through RESS. That support is a central plank in Dublin’s strategy to increase renewable generation and meet its 2030 goals. For Elgin, the transaction represents a material enlargement of its Irish platform and underlines the appetite among developers and investors to secure shovel‑ready capacity ahead of forthcoming auctions.
While the company has outlined expected capital expenditure for Blackhall, it has not disclosed purchase price or detailed timetables for construction and commissioning. The project will add to Elgin’s portfolio of owned renewable energy assets as it pursues both market‑based opportunities and auctioned support mechanisms across the UK and Ireland.
Residents in Moray and across Scotland will recognise the company name—Elgin—though this transaction is focused on Ireland. Nonetheless, the move is another indicator of the rapid pace of activity in the renewables sector across these islands and the growing role of developers securing late‑stage projects ahead of subsidy auctions and grid allocations.
