New funding plan for Offaly windfarms
Plans to develop two major windfarms in Offaly have been given a significant investment injection with the announcement of a massive new wind energy partnership.
Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables have joined forces and confirmed that their potential joint €1bn investment plan will include the controversial Lemanaghan Wind Farm and the Garryhinch Wind Farm on the Laois/Offaly border.
The Lemanaghan Wind Farm proposal has met with significant local opposition in the communities in that part of west Offaly.
It involves a bid by Bord na Mona to develop a windfarm comprising 17 turbines stretching up to 220 metres high in the area between Ballinahown, Ballycumber, Ferbane and Pullough.
In 2021, Offaly councillors voted narrowly in favor of including Lemanaghan Bog as an area open to wind energy consideration, with a buffer zone around the Lemanaghan monastic site. Over 2,300 submissions were made on the issue to the council during public consultation.
In July 2021, Bord na Móna started an engagement with An Bord Pleanála in a bid to have the planned wind farm on Lemonaghan bog progress as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) application – meaning it would go directly to the board bypassing the local authority planning process. A decision on that pre-application consultation has not yet been issued by the planning board.
A local group, Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group, has been steadfastly opposing the project, and says it is working to protect the bog from what it describes as a large, industrial scale windfarm development.
Meanwhile, the Garryhinch Wind Farm plan, which involves 12 turbines, of between 200-220 metre high, is proposed for land adjoining Cloneygowan and Mountmellick.
In an announcement on Thursday, Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables said their 50:50 joint venture will target the delivery of up to 800MW of new renewable onshore wind energy for Ireland.
The joint venture includes three projects,already in pre-planning development, including the two Offaly projects and Littleton Wind Farm in Tipperary, which could deliver approximately 250MW of new renewable energy generation.
The companies said they also intend to progress a portfolio of future development prospects, which will represent up to 550MW of additional new onshore wind energy, expected also to be on existing Bord na Móna lands in the midlands.
If the projected 800MW of renewable energy projects are fully delivered, it is expected the portfolio could generate a volume of electricity equivalent to the average annual electricity demand of circa half a million homes, while offsetting half a million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, the companies said.
The deal, which has reached completion, follows the receipt of Ministerial consent from Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan.
SSE Renewables is contributing approximately €50m in initial equity consideration for a 50% equity stake in the 800MW development portfolio.
Delivery of the 800MW portfolio of new onshore wind projects is subject to each project receiving planning consent for development, securing a route to market and grid connection. Ahead of development, Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables will reach a final investment decision to progress each project to construction.
SSE Renewables will be fully responsible for each development up to the planning consent process, funding 100 per cent of this phase. After planning consent and grid access is secured, both Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables will fund the development on a 50:50 basis through full business case approval and construction.
Bord na Móna will lead on Community Engagement across the lifetime of each individual project.