*Developers estimate the project would contribute €4m to the local economy.
REVISED PLANS for the Cahermurphy Wind Farm are to be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála at the end of this year.
MCRE Windfarm Ltd and FuturEnergy Ireland intend to lodge a fresh planning application for the Cahermurphy West Wind Farm.
Back in September 2020, plans were lodged for a ten-turbine wind farm in Cahermurphy but these were later rejected by Clare County Council. Over 100 submissions had been received by the Council in response to the plans from the public, community groups and elected representatives from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Green Party and Independent councillors.
New plans from MCRE Windfarm Ltd and FuturEnergy Ireland which have been in the works since June 2024 include the erection of eight turbines each capable of generating 7 MW, with an overall ground-to-blade tip height of between 180 metres and 185 metres. The wind turbines will have a rotor diameter of between 149 metres and 163 metres and a hub height of between 98.5 metres and 110.5 metres. The proposed site is 5km north of Kilmihil and 4km east of Cree.
As part of the public consultation phase of this development, a community clinic will take place next Wednesday (August 27th) from 2pm to 8pm in the Kilmihil Community Centre on 4 Church Street. The clinic will give the local community an opportunity to access the most recent information, meet the team and discuss the project in detail.
Cahermurphy Renewables DAC is behind the wind farm, this is a venture between MCRE Windfarm Ltd and FuturEnergy Ireland. MCRE is a Co Clare-based renewable energy development company while FuturEnergy Ireland is a standalone joint venture between Coillte and ESB. They intend to make a planning application for the wind farm to An Coimisiún Pleanála in the final quarter of this year.
According to the developers, the project has the potential to produce more than 147,000 MWh of electricity a year and provide a Community Benefit Fund of an estimated €294,000 per annum for fifteen years. They estimate that a total of approximately €4 million would be contributed to the local area via community funds.
Homes located within two kilometres of the proposed site recently received a final project brochure from community liaison officers Kevin Donnellan and Liam Cleary. The brochure includes details of the design process, extracts from the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and a final layout map.
Following the clinic, a virtual exhibition will also be accessible on www.cahermurphywestwindfarm.ie giving an outlook as to how the proposed turbines look from different viewpoints.
A Virtual Exhibition can also be accessed from the project website above from August 27. This online tour includes project information and photomontages that show what the proposed turbines will look like from different viewpoints.
David Heelan, Project Manager for FuturEnergy Ireland explained, “the national target for producing electricity from renewables is 80% by 2030 and Cahermurphy West Wind Farm would help Ireland achieve this ambition. Eight turbines would generate enough clean electricity to power around 40,000 homes in Co. Clare annually. By supporting Ireland in phasing out expensive, imported fossil fuels, Cahermurphy West Wind Farm would help to combat climate change, strengthen our energy independence and improve security of supply”.
Pádraig Howard, CEO of MCRE, said: “We would like to see Co. Clare becoming a national leader in the production of green energy, building on its historical legacy of projects such as the Ardnacrusha Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme of the 1920s. The Cahermurphy West project would provide a boost to the local economy, including €4 million in community benefit funding to support projects and initiatives, from sports clubs and educational scholarships to home retrofits and cycle paths, and many other positive local developments. This project involves strong collaboration with more than 10 local landowners for whom Cahermurphy West represents a sustainable and viable source of income to support their farms for the next generation”.
Howard said the project would provide benefits to the county including “a significant boost in the attraction of investment and the creation of jobs from Foreign Direct investment (FDI) and indigenous firms alike. The availability of low carbon, clean energy is seen as a key driver of investment, new jobs and growth, which would be very welcome in West Clare and throughout the region”.
