Leading renewable energy partners FuturEnergy Ireland and SSE Renewables welcomed a positive planning decision by An Bord Pleanála last week, to grant permission for the development of Gort Uí Rathaile Wind Farm close to the Cork/Kerry border.
The onshore wind development, which has received consent for 13 turbines and is located approximately 4km from Ballyvourney in Co. Cork, would support both national and global climate action. The clean, home-produced electricity generated would also boost Ireland’s energy security and reduce our dependence on expensive fossil fuels.
Delivery of the wind farm will be subject to the project securing a route to market as well as a final investment decision by co-developers FuturEnergy Ireland and SSE Renewables.
Sinead O’Malley, Development Director at FuturEnergy Ireland, said:
“This planning grant for Gort Uí Rathaile Wind Farm represents another significant milestone in the FuturEnergy Ireland and SSE Renewables portfolio and our combined commitment to a greener, more resilient energy future for Ireland.
“With just one rotation of a wind turbine powering a typical Irish home for 17 hours, this project will play a vital role in achieving Ireland’s climate action goals.
“Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuel imports — costing €1 million an hour — puts both our economy and energy security at risk. Generating more renewable, home-produced electricity is critical for stabilising household energy costs as well as for strengthening our resilience against global energy uncertainties.”
Gordon Kyle, Lead Project Development Manager for SSE Renewables, said:
“The decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for Gort Uí Rathaile Wind Farm is very welcome.
“The project represents a critical investment in Ireland’s carbon-neutral future and underscores the country’s commitment to generating 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
“This planning grant also marks another positive step forward for the SSE Renewables-FuturEnergy Ireland co-development portfolio following the completion of Lenalea Wind Farm in Co. Donegal in 2023 and the consenting of the proposed Sheskin South Wind Farm in North Co. Mayo last year.”
The local economy would also benefit from annual local rates contributions and employment opportunities. This would have a significant positive impact on local infrastructure and amenities from roads and public lighting to libraries and fire services. During construction, up to 60 jobs would be created while six long-term roles would be required to run the wind farm during operations. Demand for a wide range of products and services would also create indirect employment and boost the local community.
A key feature of the Gort Uí Rathaile project is its significant Community Benefit Fund. The project partners are committed to delivering a Community Benefit Fund which would deliver hundreds of thousands of euro annually to the local community when the wind farm enters commercial operation. The Fund would be governed by an associated committee made up of local community members and it would support local community groups and projects.
Gort Uí Rathaile Wind Farm is a 50:50 co-development between SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland. The project adds to the co-development partners’ pipeline of projects, which consists of six additional projects in counties Donegal, Cork, Kerry and Mayo. Included among these additional projects is Lenalea Wind Farm in Co. Donegal, which reached full power and connected to the national grid in late 2023. The combined output of this portfolio is roughly 600MW, with projects at varying stages of development.
If you have any queries regarding Gort Uí Rathaile, please contact Community Liaison Officer Brendan Twomey on 087 971 2151 or email gortyrahilly@futurenergyireland.ie. All information is available on the project website www.gortyrahillywindfarm.ie.
Caption: Lenalea Wind Farm in Co. Donegal, which became operational in 2023, was also jointly developed by FuturEnergy Ireland and SSE Renewables
About FuturEnergy Ireland
FuturEnergy Ireland is a leading Irish wind developer established in 2021 as a stand-alone joint venture between Coillte and the ESB. The company was formed with an aim to maximise the potential of Ireland’s unique wind and land resources and accelerate Ireland’s transformation to a low carbon energy economy.
FuturEnergy Ireland is targeting the delivery of 1GW of renewable energy by 2030 through the development of high-quality onshore wind and battery storage projects. These projects would power an estimated 730,000 homes annually, make a significant contribution to Ireland’s commitment to produce 80% of electricity from renewable sources by the end of this decade, and deliver material emissions reductions.
About SSE Renewables
SSE Renewables is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy generation, focusing on onshore and offshore wind, hydro, solar and battery storage. Part of energy infrastructure company SSE plc, UK-listed in the FTSE100, it is delivering clean power assets to increase SSE’s operational renewable generation capacity from 5GW today to up to 9GW by 2027 as part of a ~€24bn clean energy plan, the five-year Net Zero Acceleration Programme (NZAP) Plus. This includes delivery of the world’s largest offshore wind farm in construction, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
SSE Renewables operates some of the largest onshore wind farms on the island of Ireland including the 174MW Galway Wind Park in Connemara and the 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park outside Derry City.
SSE Renewables has a team of around 2,000 renewable energy professionals with a passion for championing clean energy delivery, each based across the markets in which it operates. Its core market focus is in Ireland and the United Kingdom, with a growing international presence in carefully selected markets in Continental Europe and Japan.
Press queries
For press queries, please contact Janine Thomas, Communications and Media Manager at FuturEnergy Ireland, at Janine.thomas@futurenergyireland.ie
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