SWS Group, a west Cork co-op that is expanding into renewable energy, opened its first windfarm in the Republic yesterday and will open two more in the next three months.

The Bandon-based company, owned by five local co-operatives, launched a 19.5 megawatt windfarm in Booltiagh, west Clare. The windfarm, developed in a joint venture with DP Energy, was the first to receive planning permission in Co Clare and was the fifth completed in Ireland by DP Energy.

The windfarm has the capacity to provide electricity to almost 13,000 homes in Clare, or one third of all homes in the county, according to SWS. The company secured a power purchase agreement about two years ago, guaranteeing the windfarm's sales to the national electricity grid.

"We used to be advisers and managers in the sector and now we are taking equity stakes in windfarms and developing them ourselves," said John Connolly, group marketing manager at SWS. "We're becoming a big player in wind energy."

The company is now involved in windfarms that are amassing some €400 million worth of investment over three years. SWS itself has invested about €100 million in wind energy over the past 18 months, according to Mr Connolly.

In the next three months, SWS will launch a windfarm in Gneeves, north Cork, and a 45 megawatt project in Kilgarvan that will become one of the Ireland's largest windfarms.

SWS has also won planning permission for a project in Knockacummer, Co Cork, and for the extension of a joint venture windfarm in Co Tyrone.

Outside Ireland, SWS is developing a €150 million windfarm in Hungary, the biggest project of its kind in that country.

Jim Galvin, a senior manager with SWS, has said the company sought opportunities for wind energy projects in new EU states after becoming frustrated with the slow pace of the sector's development in the Republic.

SWS announced in October it would create 226 new jobs in business process outsourcing over the next three years.