Building Services News l January/February 2020
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Innovation Green low carbon trade distribution centre
Innovation Green is a new initiative established to create the first 100% independent renewable energy microgrid in Ireland to develop a prototype “low carbon trade and distribution campus”. The campus will be located in the Midlands, 15km west of Tullamore and 23km east of Athlone, and will provide a centre of excellence for companies and researchers looking to test and develop renewable and sustainable energy solutions to real-world environmental problems related to trade and industry. It is an initiative that has been developed in co-operation with Midlands Airport Developments Ltd, InSite Bavaria, The Technical University of Munich, Siemens and Amova. The development, which has the long-term potential to create up to 5200 jobs, is to be built on the site of the proposed Midlands Airport
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and is a key element within the overall project masterplan that received strategic infrastructure development approval in 2010. Ireland’s first 100% independent renewable energy microgrid is planned to be developed by the end of 2025, and will begin with powering the proposed campus competence centre in partnership with InSite Bavaria and the Technical University of Munich. The planned trade and distribution centre of excellence will also serve as a home to researchers and to companies wishing to develop new technologies benefiting from the innovative campus technology. The 100% green energy sources powering the entire campus industrial zone will operate as a distributed energy system and include wind, solar, waste to energy, hydrogen and anaerobic digestion. The campus will function as a “living laboratory” for autonomous cars, smart storage and distribution, artificial intelligence and other technologies. All buildings within the campus will be NZEB (Nero Zero Energy
rated Buildings) compliant. All energy created by buildings on the campus will feed back into the microgrid ensuring maximum efficiency of energy consumption and, at the same time, facilitate energy storage for later use. The energy consumption and carbon offsetting will be managed through a centralised campus management system developed in cooperation with Siemens. On 14 January last the EU’s regional policy Commissioner, Elisa Ferreira, revealed details of the F100 billion “Just Transition Mechanism”, a key financial component of the European Green Deal that should make the bloc climate neutral by 2050.The ambitious plans for the Innovation Green initiative is a direct response to the recent closures of energy facilities in the Midlands. The development will act as a catalyst for the transition of Irish industry away from carbon intensive energy making it an ideal candidate to benefit from the new EU “Just Transition” fund. Q
07/02/2020 12:28
