Green light for major solar development at Tullamore DEW Distillery

A significant solar power development which will provide electricity to the Tullamore DEW Distillery has been given the go-ahead by Offaly County Council.

Council planners granted permission to William Grant and Sons for the installation of approximately 4,100 photovoltaic panels on ground-mounted frames within a site area of 3.90 hectares along with a transformer station at its Tullamore Distillery Campus at Ballard and Clonminch.

The plans also include the provision of one transformer station; five CCTV security cameras mounted on eight-metre high poles; perimeter security fencing (2.4 metres high); an extension to existing maintenance access track on the site to the solar PV development; installation of underground cable to connect the transformer station and the distillery and all associated site works.

The permission was granted subject to nine conditions, including that all the solar panels and their ancillary structures be “dismantled and appropriately disposed of from the site” once they reach their end of life, or if they cease operation for more than a year.

Among the other conditions are that no loading or unloading will be permitted on the public roadway; no construction vehicles will be permitted to park on the public road during constructions works; that any damage to roads, footpaths or other public property caused by the development should be made good to the satisfaction of the District Engineer and that “reasonable measures” be taken by the developer to mitigate any environment nuisance such as noise and dust during the construction works.

In the planning statement which accompanied the planning application, William Grant and Sons said the the objective of the proposed development is “to enhance the sustainability of the distillery by reducing its dependence on expensive and carbon-generated fossil fuel-derived energy imported from the national grid.”

They added that the power generated by the proposed development would result in an annual reduction of 750 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

In relation to the overall installation and construction phase of the proposed development, the company anticipated that this work would be completed within a 12-week period.