Seagate announced a decision which will dramatically reduce its carbon footprint in Derry. The company has switched from traditional electricity supply to environmentally friendly wind power, supplied by Airtricity, Ireland's leading renewable energy company. Airtricity specialises in the development of onshore and offshore wind farms and currently has 24 wind farms in operation throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Going forward, the electricity required to run the massive Springtown plant will be 100 per cent renewable, reducing the site's carbon footprint by 41,800 tons of carbon dioxide, which equates to 95 percent of the total carbon emitted each year by Springtown. The reduction is the equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by 4,500 households per year.

"Going green was a significant factor for us when we were reviewing our energy supply contract," said John Spangler, vice president at Seagate's high-tech Springtown facility. "We are not a heavy or conventionally 'dirty' industry and we have no smokestacks to shut down, but we do not view that as a warrant for complacency. Internationally the company is making a positive difference through an aggressive programme of energy use reduction and we wanted to reflect those priorities here at Springtown.

"The Springtown manufacturing facility, by its very nature, is a heavy consumer of energy and we are constantly seeking ways to reduce energy consumption. Internally we have already implemented many excellent projects to decrease our carbon footprint, but switching to a renewable power source allowed us to go still further. This is an important demonstration of our commitment to doing business in a way that respects the environment."

David Brown, sales director of Airtricity said: "We are delighted that Seagate has made the switch to green electricity supply. They are the latest of many North West businesses who have opted to use a more environmentally responsible form of energy supply. The switch means that one of the biggest companies in Northern Ireland is now making a genuine contribution to environmental protection."