NEW DETAILS have been released about the proposed Lackareagh Wind Farm.
Located east of the village of Kilbane, the wind farm will comprise of up to seven turbines with tip heights of up to 180m. If planning permission is granted, Lackareagh Wind Farm will have a generating capacity of 50MW which is the equivalent of an approximate 35,000 homes across Ireland.
A public exhibition with further details on the plans is to be held at The Lakeside Hotel in Killaloe on November 21st.
If the project receives planning permission and is constructed, a Community Benefit Fund will be established, to support local initiatives and activities. The wind farm is expected to be operational in 2027.
Following consultation with the local community, the project team intends to submit a planning application and the Environmental Impact Assessment Report in support of the project to Clare County Council in the first quarter of 2024.
The project will also include access tracks, an onsite 38kV substation and battery storage compound, a temporary construction compound, a permanent meteorological mast, a temporary storage area, a borrow pit, underground cabling and a 38kV grid connection which links the wind farm to the national electricity grid.
Jenny Howard, Head of Development at EDF Renewables Ireland, said: “We’re looking forward to presenting local residents with detailed information about the project and its progress to date. Our team have carried out detailed environmental, geotechnical and habitat studies, and this is a great opportunity for residents to find out more about the wind farm and provide feedback on our proposals”.
She stated, “The effects of climate change are becomingly increasingly clear every day, and Lackareagh Wind Farm will make an important contribution to decarbonising Ireland’s electricity supply and reducing our need for imported fossil fuels. The project will also lead to the creation of a Community Benefit Fund, to help support local initiatives and activities in the local area”.
The public exhibition will be held at the Lakeside Hotel from 3pm to 8pm on 21 November. It will feature information about the project and the environmental surveys completed to date, photomontages illustrating the visual impact of the turbines from local viewpoints, details of the project timeline and information on other aspects of wind energy. There is no need to register in advance and all are welcome to attend. A virtual exhibition will also be available online.
To find out more about Lackareagh Wind Farm please visit www.edf-re.ie/our-sites/lackareagh or contact the project team at lackareaghwindfarm@edf-re.ie
