Roscrea solar farm enters final phase of development
The Roscrea facility is the largest solar project of its kind in Ireland
Spanning over almost 600 acres of brownfield bogland north of Roscrea, the largest solar project of its kind has reached the final phase and will soon generate renewable power.
A major milestone has been reached by Soleire Renewables at their solar energy project near Roscrea which will play an important role in helping to decarbonise our electricity system and displace harmful imported fossil fuels.
The solar farm will reduce approximately 105,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year and power approximately 37,000 average Irish homes.
Under the Government’s Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS), the local community will benefit from a generous local community fund for the lifetime of the project so that those residents that live close to it will benefit the most from it.
The Erkina Solar Farm is on lands previously used for commercial peat extraction and is the largest solar project of its kind in Ireland.
The Erkina Solar Park consists of three interconnected sites near Roscrea - Erkina, Derrymore and Monaincha Solar Farms and the new solar farm is made from ground-mounted PV panels and cost €130-million to construct.
Covering more than 230 hectares across the three sites, Erkina Solar Park holds a unique feature which is that over 50% of the land area being used for the development is already an active wind farm, enabling the solar site to be developed around the existing wind turbines at Monaincha.
The Renewable Energy Hub also has a 5,000 sqm. battery energy storage system, a substation and 2.2 kilometres of overhead lines to connect the hub to the national grid, which required the felling of commercial forestry, and a number of underground interconnectors, including one underneath the M7 Motorway.
Although the renewable energy generated across the site will be exported directly to the national grid, the project marks a significant step in the Midland’s sustainability and energy security.
As Ireland shifts from its reliance on fossil fuels, local homes and businesses will see a higher security of energy supply and the gradual reduction of wholesale energy costs, the project overseers said.
“Soleire Renewables is delighted to announce that the Erkina Solar Farm has reached its final energisation phase. This significant milestone will see the project export green electricity to the national grid, improve Ireland’s energy security and help the country reach its sustainability targets," PJ McCarthy, Managing Director at Soleire Renewables, said.
“It has been a long and worthwhile mission to reach this stage, and we would like to thank our contractors, partners and all who have worked on the development of Erkina Solar Park.”
Founded in 2014, Soleire Renewables is a renewable energy company who work with German company ILOS building solar farms in Ireland, the UK and Europe. They are one of the leading solar energy development companies in Ireland.