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€30 million new solar farm planned for West Limerick

€30 million new solar farm planned for West Limerick

By ilovelimerick correspondent Frances Watkins

Planning has begun for a new solar farm in West Limerick which upon completion will be one of the largest solar energy developments in Ireland.

The project is expected to cost as much as €30 million and will produce enough power annually for 9,000 homes.


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The new solar farm is planned to be 33,000 MWh/annum in the townlands of Ellaha and Ballinknockane with Irish solar developer Solas Éireann is applying for permission for the site.

Members of the public are being encouraged to make submissions towards the plans for the new solar farm until early October.

Energy created at the site will then be fed to the national grid with the site being close to one of the country’s large-scale power users, Aughinish Alumina.

The 163-acre site has the ability to create up to 150 jobs with construction expected to take three months with work beginning in early 2019. Progress however depends on the finalising of the Renewable Energy Support scheme by the Government.

According to planning documents there are 56 cultural and archaeological significance within 1km of the site however to prevent disturbing them 25 metre buffer zones have been implemented to avoid disturbing these sites.

Once the green light has been given for the new solar farm, it will service and enter into the lease with the landowners’ intention to introduce a dual use for the land according to planning documents. The land can also be used for sheep grazing.

Planning has alreast begun throughout the country for several other solar farms with the proposed farm in Limerick expected to be the third or fourth largest in the country.

For more on the environment and Limerick click here

For more on solar energy in Limerick click here

 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.