An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission to leading renewable energy partners SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland to develop Drumnahough Wind Farm in County Donegal.
The onshore wind development, which will comprise 12 turbines with a maximum tip height of 167.5m, is in the rural uplands of Donegal, 13km from Letterkenny and located within the townlands of Treankeel, Meenadaura, Carrickalangan and Cark.
During construction, Drumnahough Wind Farm will generate approximately 60 jobs. Once operational the circa 60 MW wind farm will be capable of generating enough green energy to power around 40,000* homes and offset almost 40 million kilograms* of carbon emissions annually.
In addition to delivering significant energy security and climate action benefits for Ireland, Drumnahough Wind Farm will make a significant positive impact locally through the provision of a substantial Community Benefit Fund which will become available once the project enters commercial operation.
Drumnahough Wind Farm is a 50:50 co-development between SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland. Delivery of the Drumnahough Wind Farm project represents a joint total capital investment of around €60 million between the two development partners. This investment will help support County Donegal’s rural regeneration. SSE Renewables will lead on the construction of the project and will operate the wind farm on completion.
The project will also add to the development partners’ pipeline of projects in the North West where SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland are constructing the 30MW Lenalea Wind Farm near Letterkenny in central Donegal.
Garry Brides, Project Manager of Drumnahough for SSE Renewables, said: “We are delighted that the Drumnahough Wind Farm project has been successfully approved by An Bord Pleanála at the planning stage and will be able to start progressing onto the next stage. Delivery of Drumnahough Wind Farm will help boost Ireland’s energy independence and cut costs for the consumer by providing cheaper, more secure, homegrown energy for consumers. It will also make a significant contribution to Ireland’s ambitious renewable energy targets and efforts to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Working with our co-development partners FuturEnergy Ireland and the communities in County Donegal we look forward to bringing to fruition the positive social and economic benefits that Drumnahough Wind Farm will deliver during its construction and its operational lifetime.”
Mary Lynch, Portfolio Director at FuturEnergy Ireland, said: “Receiving the positive planning determination for Drumnahough Wind Farm from An Bord Pleanála is a very strong validation of the high-quality application which was prepared in respect of this opportunity. The focus of the joint teams now shifts immediately to the grid and commercialisation modules, which the partners will use every effort to advance, particularly at a time of acute climate crisis. From FuturEnergy Ireland’s perspective, it brings us one step closer to achieving our stated ambition of generating 1GW of renewable electricity by 2030. In partnership with SSE Renewables, we are very much looking forward to seeing Drumnahough Wind Farm help Ireland leverage its unique wind resource, attain climate targets and increase the country’s energy security, all while providing a boost to the local economy and the community, without the support of whom this project would not be possible.”
ENDS
* 40,000 homes powered based on projected installed capacity, typical projected wind load factor of 32%, and typical annual consumption (4,200kWh). Quoted 40m kilograms of carbon emissions abated based on projected annual MWh output and latest average CO2 Emissions (0.236g/kWh) in the All-Island Single Electricity Market, and published by the CRU in its Fuel Mix Disclosure and CO2 Emissions for 2020, October 2021.
Issued on behalf of SSE Renewables by Heneghan
Media Contact
Nigel Heneghan – 086 258 7206 / nigel@heneghan.ie
Emma Flannery – 087 924 9349 / emma@heneghan.ie
About SSE Renewables
SSE Renewables is the UK and Ireland’s leading renewable energy developer, owner and operator with plans to expand in selected international markets to deliver the green energy the world needs. Its strategy is to lead the transition to a net zero future through the world-class development, construction and operation of renewable power assets and is building more offshore wind energy than any other company in the world. SSE Renewables is part of SSE plc, the UK-listed integrated energy group which is investing £12.5bn over five years, or £7m a day, to deliver a Net Zero Acceleration Programme to address climate change head on. This includes plans by SSE Renewables to double its installed renewable energy capacity to 8GW by 2026 and ambitious targets to treble capacity to over 13GW by 2031, increasing output fivefold to over 50TWh annually – enough to be able to power around 20 million homes each year.
About FuturEnergy Ireland
FuturEnergy Ireland is a joint venture company owned on a 50:50 basis by Coillte and ESB that is actively driving Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy. The company’s ambition is to develop more than 1GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and make a significant contribution to Ireland’s commitment to produce 80% of electricity from renewable sources by the end of this decade. www.futurenergyireland.ie
