Belfast City Council has become the first organisation to sign up for electricity from the city’s newest wind farm, marking a major step towards its net zero ambitions.

The contract with 3T Power will see City Hall, St George’s Market, Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo, 2 Royal Avenue and more than 200 other council-owned buildings powered entirely by renewable energy for the first time. The electricity will come from the firm’s Ballyutoag wind farm in the Belfast Hills, transferred onto the Northern Ireland grid and supplied directly to council venues.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, said the move showed the council’s determination to lead by example. “We want to make a real difference to cutting emissions and encourage others to do the same,” she said. “This contract underlines our ambitions to modernise and future-proof our buildings and help make the city’s climate change targets a reality.”

Thomas Kelso, director of 3T Power, said the development of the wind farm had been years in the making. “Belfast City Council’s confirmation as the site’s first customer reflects the leadership position the council has taken on embracing sustainability and lowering its carbon footprint,” he said.

The switch to renewable energy is a key action in the city’s Local Area Energy Plan, launched in 2024, which sets out how Belfast will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Other recent council-led initiatives include the UPSURGE demonstrator site at Lower Botanic Gardens, a £300,000 Innovate UK grant for a city centre heat network and rooftop solar projects, and the establishment of the Belfast Retrofit Hub to improve energy efficiency in homes.