Belfast Council Venues Go Green with Local Wind Power!

Great news for a greener Belfast! has announced a pioneering move to power its iconic buildings and many beloved local venues, including community centres, entirely with renewable electricity. This significant step sees the council become the first organisation to sign up for green power from a brand new local wind farm right here in our city's hills.

The contract, signed with 3T Power, will ensure that places like City Hall, St George’s Market, Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo, 2 Royal Avenue, and over 200 other council-owned buildings – crucially, including many of our leisure and community centres across North Belfast and beyond – will now run on clean energy. This electricity will come directly from 3T Power's latest wind farm project at Ballyutoag in the Belfast Hills, transferred onto the NI grid for use by these venues. This not only drastically cuts the council’s carbon footprint but also actively supports job creation right here in Northern Ireland.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, highlighted the council’s commitment to leading by example. “We want to make a real difference to cutting emissions and encouraging others to do the same,” she stated. “As the city’s community planning authority, we are paving the way for a greener and more sustainable city, with transformational projects that will see real changes to how we live, work, and future-proof our city. We hope this move will encourage other organisations to join us in making Belfast’s climate change targets a reality.”

Thomas Kelso, Director at 3T Power, expressed their delight in providing energy for the council’s diverse portfolio. He noted, “The development of a wind farm on the doorstep of Belfast has been years in the making, and we are proud to see the site going live. The council’s confirmation as our first customer reflects their leadership in embracing sustainability. We look forward to additional businesses from Belfast and beyond joining us in partnership through our Renewable Energy Adjustment tariff, offering price transparency and clearer origins of their power.”

This switch is a vital action within the city’s Local Area Energy Plan, launched in September 2024. This ambitious plan, driven by the Belfast Net Zero Delivery Group, sets out clear goals for our city to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Beyond this major energy contract, the council has been busy with several other green initiatives. These include securing £300,000 for city centre heat networks and rooftop solar projects, and most notably for our community, progressing a neighbourhood-led approach to improving energy efficiency in homes through the Belfast Retrofit Hub.

These efforts collectively aim to build a more resilient and sustainable Belfast for everyone. It's exciting to see our city leading the way in adopting cleaner, greener energy solutions for a brighter future.