Landmark premises in Tullamore seeking to construct large solar development

William Grant and Sons Irish Manufacturing is seeking to construct a solar PV development which would allow it to provide electrical power to the existing distillery at Clonminch in Tullamore.

The company has sought pre-validation from Offaly County Council to install 4,100 photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames within a site area of 3.90 hectares.

A transformer station and 5 CCTV security cameras mounted on 8 metre high poles, form part of the application. In addition the development will have a 2.5 metre high security fence along with internal access tracks, The development will be located at the Tullamore Distillery Campus at Ballard & Clonminch, Tullamore.

In a planning statement by McElroy Associates and IMG Planning Limited, carried out on behalf of William Grant and Sons and which accompanies the application. It states ''The objective of the proposed development is to enhance the sustainability of the Distillery by reducing its dependence on expensive and carbon-intensive fossil fuel-derived energy imported from the national grid. The power generated by the proposed development will result in an annual reduction of 750 tonnes of CO₂. The total annual power output from the proposed development will be approximately 2.5 GWh. ''

It continues, ''William Grant and Sons established operations at Tullamore in 2014, with the building of the Pot and Malt Distillery, as well as the associated co-products and maturation facilities. The site has now fully developed into a modern grain to glass facility, directly employing over 100 people onsite.''

Distillery volumes have increased significantly across the 2014 to 2024 period, with output in 2024 nearing 13 million LAA (litres of absolute alcohol). This is the current theoretical maximum for the site and this will lead to further expansion plans/considerations towards the end of the decade; the planning statement says.

Bottling Volumes have increased more than 3-fold, since Grant's acquired the Tullamore D.E.W brand in 2010. They are predicted to reach 2 million cases in 2025. ''To support the increased Distillery output and the support the growth of the Tullamore D.E.W brand, the site has steadily increased maturation warehousing, with 11 warehouses now in operational use. A total of 500,000 casks are maturing onsite and plans are in place for a further 2 warehouses (to be completed by 2026).

At the Industry level, the Irish Whiskey Association launched its sustainability charter in 2020 and this also details the ambition of the industry to reduce the use of fossil fuels. To this end, all businesses involved in the production of spirits must pursue technology that will both reduce their energy requirements and convert to more sustainable energy sources. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry as a whole, protecting jobs for the long term.''

A decision from Offaly County Council is expected on July 14.