More turbines on way as Offaly council nets windfall

BORD na Mona is hosting public meetings next week on its plan for another wind farm in Offaly.

The energy company already has wind farms operational at Mountlucas and Cloncreen and its next project is a 21-turbine facility at Derrinlough.

Over three evenings next week (November 1-3) it will hold “Community Engagement” sessions in Cloneygowan, Garryhinch/Cloneyhurke and Mountmellick about Garryhinch Wind Farm.

The study area for this proposed wind farm stretches across the Offaly and Laois boundary and is about 2km from Cloneygowan village and St Brigid's Community Centre, Cloneyhurke.

Bord na Mona has also signalled its intention to build a 17-turbine wind farm at its bog in Lemanaghan.

In addition, it has plans for another on the Offaly/Kildare border, Ballydermot Wind Farm, where it hopes to locate 47 turbines, some of which will rise to a tip height of 220 metres, making them Ireland's tallest.

All of the wind farms are being developed on former peatlands in line with Bord na Mona's switch from 'brown to green' as it becomes an 'energy solutions' company following its exit from peat harvesting for power stations.

Meanwhile another company, Statkraft, is building the 12-turbine Moanvane Wind Farm on agricultural land between the villages of Geashill, Cloneygowan and Walsh Island.

The project was granted planning permission in 2018 and is expected to link up to the grid in 2024.

The maximum tip height will be 169 metres and the company said the wind farm will be able to power up to 35,000 homes.

Its operator says rates worth up to €500,000 will be paid to Offaly County Council.

Elsewhere in the county, SSE Renewables is the company behind the 29-turbine Yellow River Wind farm project between Rhode and Croghan. The turbines will be located on sites leased from 22 local landowners.

Gaelectric opened its two-turbine Leabeg Wind Farm near Boora in 2016 and Element Power switched on four turbines at Meenwaun near Banagher in 2017.

Statkraft has another nine turbines under construction near Cloghan and has a plan for eight more in east Offaly and one in Kildare in the Cushaling Wind Farm.

Figures released to Offaly Live reveal that Offaly County Council is already collecting €1.5 million per annum in rates from wind farms in the county.

This figure is set to surge in the coming years as the wind farms currently under construction, or granted planning permission, come on stream.

The figures also show that since 2018, the County Council has received €1,054,000 in development contributions from wind farm projects in the county. These are charges which are levied based on the megawatt output of the wind farms.

One of the largest solar farms granted permission by Offaly County Council is to be located at Greenhills and Wood in Rhode. Initially covering 132 hectares, permission was subsequently granted to extend the solar farm by close to another 23 hectares bringing the total size of the solar farm to almost 400 acres.

This development will net Offaly County Council over €1.2 million in development contributions.

As of yet, Offaly County Council has not received any development contributions or rates from solar farms in the county. However planning permission has been granted for eight solar farms and each will be levied with a development contribution.

Once the solar farms are constructed, they will also be required to pay commercial rates.

Separately, energy companies are also making grant contributions to local communities which they say run into millions of euros.

The rates and development contribution figures are revealed following a Freedom of Information request submitted to Offaly County Council by Offaly Live. The Freedom of Information request sought figures pertaining to income streams from wind farms and solar farms in the county.

The Bord na Mona public meetings in relation to the Garryhinch Wind Farm will take place at the CYMS Hall, Cloneygowan on Tuesday, November 1 (5-9pm), Mountmellick Conference Centre, MDA Business Park on Wednesday, November 2 (5-9pm) and St Brigid's Community Hall, Garryhinch/Cloneyhurke on Thursday, November 3 (5-9pm).