A 15-year power purchase agreement between Flogas and a farmer-led solar project in Co Cork is showing how long-term procurement commitments can provide the commercial certainty needed to bring smaller renewable developments into operation.

The agreement with Meadhill Solar Farm in Meadstown, Kildorrery, gives Flogas a long-term route to purchase the electricity generated by the 650kW facility, while providing the project with greater visibility over future revenues. Flogas says that certainty was key to making the development bankable. The Irish Post reported on the project.

Developed by farmer Sean Keating, Meadhill is the first solar farm to operate under the Government’s Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS). The facility has more than 1,000 solar panels across 1.5 acres and can generate enough electricity to power around 150 local homes each year. Flogas confirmed the 15-year partnership.

For National Procurement professionals, the project provides a practical example of procurement supporting capital investment before an asset is fully operational. A long-term purchasing commitment can give developers and financiers greater confidence in projected revenues, helping smaller projects secure the funding required for construction and grid connection.

That model is particularly relevant to farmers, SMEs and independent renewable developers, which may not have the scale or balance sheet of larger energy companies. A dependable buyer can reduce uncertainty around future output while securing renewable electricity over an extended contract period.

SRESS provides a complementary policy framework. The scheme supports renewable electricity projects between 50kW and 6MW, with Government support designed to encourage farmers, communities, SMEs and smaller developers to participate in renewable generation. The Government's SRESS guidance sets out the scheme's role in expanding Ireland’s renewable electricity capacity.

Meadhill also demonstrates how procurement can connect energy investment with rural economic activity. Keating began developing the project in 2017 to diversify farm income, while livestock can continue grazing beneath the panels. The result is an operating renewable asset alongside an established agricultural enterprise.

For the sector, the project shows how procurement commitments can become an enabler of infrastructure investment. Long-term PPAs, combined with targeted Government support, could give smaller renewable developers a clearer route from project concept to operation while helping energy buyers secure future clean electricity supply.

Source: The Irish Post / Flogas / Government of Ireland