Tag Archives: windfarm

Turbines up to 300 metres high on massive floating platforms will be developed by ESB with experienced partners, reports Dan Danaher A NEW floating offshore windfarm of 1,400 megawatts will be developed off the coast of Clare and Kerry in two phases by ESB and joint venture partners, Equinor, a world leader in floating offshore wind technology. Once complete, the windfarm will be capable of powering more than 1.6 million homes in Ireland. Subject to the appropriate consents being granted, it is expected to be in production within the next decade. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Moneypoint station manager, Sean Hegarty said it is envisaged the new turbines will be constructed on an enormous floating concrete base weighing up to 15,000 tonnes, with the turbine built on a corner of the triangular structure. While the turbines in Peterhead off the UK coast, developed by ESB’s partners Equinor have a different base structure, he confirmed that, above the water, …

BETWEEN 50 and 100 jobs will be created to provide a new €50 million Synchronous Compensator in Moneypoint Power Station as part of the ESB’s exciting new €5 billion Green Atlantic development, reports Dan Danaher. This Synchronous Compensator, which will be the largest of its kind in the world, will provide a range of electrical services to the electricity grid, which would previously have been supplied by thermal-fired power stations. Its operation will enable higher volumes of renewables on the system. While Moneypoint plant manager, Sean Hegarty was unable this week to provide an exact number of new jobs in advance of signing this major new work contract for the site, he estimates a major construction of this scale usually requires between 50 and 100 people. It is estimated the construction of the new offshore windfarm will create up to 600 new jobs, pending planning approval. This new Synchronous Compensator will be sub contracted to a major manufacturer who may …

PRE-PLANNING consultation has begun in South East Clare as a German renewable energy company prepares to lodge an application for an eight-turbine windfarm, early next year. RWE Renewables Ireland Limited (RWE), which describes itself as one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, launched an eight-week pre-planning consultation exercise at the start of this month. It says that feedback received from residents and stakeholders – whom it aims to meet virtually while Level 5 restrictions continue – will inform the design of the windfarm, proposed for a 320-hectare site 6km south west of Killaloe and 1.5km north of Bridgetown. As a mandatory element of windfarm projects, RWE will administer a community fund in the event of securing planning permission from Clare County Council, a figure which could range from €168,000 to €288,000 per annum for 15 years. A brochure on the project also outlines the potential for community shared ownership. It details the creation of up to 70 jobs during …

THE FUTURE viability of Moneypoint Power Station has been thrown a much needed lifeline under a new proposed offshore wind development project, which has the potential to generate enough energy to power up 1.5 million homes reports Dan Danaher. Under a new public private partnership between the ESB and Equinor, a new multi-million Euro project concerning a 270 km2 flaghship floating offshore wind development is being planned off the coast of Clare and Kerry. Details of the new plan are due to be announced by the ESB under Ireland’s long-term decarbonisation strategy this Friday. The Clare Champion has learned the ESB and Equinor submitted a Foreshore License application to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in January, and a lot of preliminary work has already been undertaken preparing the groundwork for a new planning application. In addition to revitalising Moneypoint Power Station, this project would provide a commercial rates windfall for Clare County Council, pending planning approval. This …

THE development of onshore windfarms is critical for Ireland’s transition to a low carbon society, according to Pádraig Howard of Mid Clare Renewable Energy, and his company’s proposed new development at Cahermurphy would be fully in compliance with new draft national guidelines. The so-called Cahermurphy II project has attracted a number of local objections and is currently with Clare County Council planners. Mr Howard met with the Clare Champion at the site of the first Cahermurphy windfarm on Tuesday, and was actually interviewed while standing at the top of a stairwell on a turbine. While there have been concerns raised about the potential for noise from the proposed new windfarm, it was possible to have a conversation of almost 30 minutes without raising voices, while actually on the turbine. On the day the wind speed was around 8.5 metres per second, and while this wouldn’t be exceptionally quick, Mr Howard said that the turbines were close to their most audible, …

DOZENS of objections have now been lodged with Clare County Council against the development of a windfarm at Cahermurphy and nearby townlands, close to Kilmihil. While the application from MCRE Windfarm Limited claimed that there are positive relationships with people in the area, many of the local residents are against the proposal and a large number of strongly worded objections have been lodged with the local authority. Among them is one from the Cahermurphy Wind Farm Phase II Opposition Group which claims there has been little consultation from the company with locals. “This application has been rushed into the Council with little to no public consultation, during a pandemic. There are many locals who have none or very little knowledge of this proposed industrial development,” it said in a submission to the county council. “As we needed hand signatures to validate this letter and our request, the collected signatures are the result of a limited round trip on October 21, …

MCRE Windfarm Limited have lodged a planning application for a major windfarm project on lands at Cahermurphy and the surrounding townlands near Kilmihil. It would consist of up to ten wind turbines with a maximum overall blade tip height of up to 170 metres. It would have a 30-year operational life span from the date of commissioning. A community engagement report accompanying the application says that it is looking to build on a successful earlier development. “MCRE has been involved in the successful development of the Cahermurphy 1 windfarm since 2013 and though the process of planning and developing of the Cahermurphy 1 project it has developed many relationships with the local families in this general area. The Genesis of the current project evolved though these relationships following the successful planning and development of the Cahermurphy 1 project when local farm families approached MCRE with a view to building on the success of the original project. Through the model of …

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar is under intense political pressure today, after claiming he had sought to help Donald Trump prevent a windfarm being built near Doonbeg. At a lunch in Washington yesterday, he spoke about receiving a phone call from Mr Trump three or four years ago, at which time he was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. In the call, Mr Varadkar said that the future President told him he had a problem near the golf course, where a wind farm was being proposed. Afterwards, Mr Varadkar said he tried to assist Mr Trump. “I endeavoured to do what I could do about it,” Mr Varadkar claimed. “I rang the County Council and enquired about the planning permission and subsequently the planning permission was declined and the windfarm was never built. Thus the landscape being preserved. The President has very kindly given me credit for that. Although I do think it probably would have been refused anyway. But I’m very …