If granted planning permission, Lackareagh Wind Farm will power the equivalent of c.35,000 homes across Ireland
EDF Renewables Ireland is announcing new details about its proposed Lackareagh Wind Farm, ahead of a public exhibition in the Lakeside Hotel, Killaloe on 21 November.
The project, located to the east of the village of Kilbane, will comprise up to seven turbines with tip heights of up to 180m. Collectively the turbines will have a generating capacity of c.50MW, enough to power the equivalent of c.35,000 homes.* If the project receives planning permission and is constructed, a Community Benefit Fund will be established, to support local initiatives and activities.
Following consultation with the local community, the project team intends to submit a planning application and the Environmental Impact Assessment Report in support of the project to Clare County Council in Q1 2024.
Subject to planning permission, the wind farm is expected to be operational in 2027. The project will also include access tracks, an onsite 38kV substation and battery storage compound, a temporary construction compound, a permanent meteorological mast, a temporary storage area, a borrow pit, underground cabling and a 38kV grid connection which links the wind farm to the national electricity grid.
Jenny Howard, Head of Development at EDF Renewables Ireland, said: “We’re looking forward to presenting local residents with detailed information about the project and its progress to date. Our team have carried out detailed environmental, geotechnical and habitat studies, and this is a great opportunity for residents to find out more about the wind farm and provide feedback on our proposals.
“The effects of climate change are becomingly increasingly clear every day, and Lackareagh Wind Farm will make an important contribution to decarbonising Ireland’s electricity supply and reducing our need for imported fossil fuels. The project will also lead to the creation of a Community Benefit Fund, to help support local initiatives and activities in the local area.”
The public exhibition will be held at the Lakeside Hotel from 3pm to 8pm on 21 November. It will feature information about the project and the environmental surveys completed to date, photomontages illustrating the visual impact of the turbines from local viewpoints, details of the project timeline and information on other aspects of wind energy. There is no need to register in advance and all are welcome to attend. A virtual exhibition will also be available to view at www.edf-re.ie/our-sites/lackareagh
To find out more about Lackareagh Wind Farm please visit www.edf-re.ie/our-sites/lackareagh or contact the project team at lackareaghwindfarm@edf-re.ie
Notes to editors
* https://www.seai.ie/publications/Energy-in-Ireland-2022.pdf
About EDF Renewables Ireland
EDF Renewables Ireland is part of one of the world’s largest electricity companies and our investment and innovation in renewable energy projects is reducing costs for consumers and bringing significant benefits to communities.
EDF Renewables Ireland’s team has a wealth of experience in bringing complex development projects to fruition, across onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and battery storage technology, and is supported by more than 400 colleagues in the UK.
In 2020 we acquired 50% of Codling Wind Park, a major offshore wind farm which will be located off the coast of Wicklow, and have also entered into a 50:50 partnership to develop the Emerald and Western Star floating offshore wind farms, to be located off the coasts of Cork and Clare, respectively. Together, these three projects could power over two million homes across Ireland.
Earlier this year we energised three of Ireland’s first grid-scale solar farms and have announced plans for five onshore wind farms across Ireland. In total we have an Irish onshore development pipeline of almost 1GW.
In the UK, EDF Renewables has an operating portfolio of 36 wind farms and two battery storage units (together totalling more than 1.5GW) and a development pipeline of 14GW across wind, solar and battery storage. EDF Renewables operates in more than 20 countries around the world.
