This article is from page 4 of the 2014-09-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
WEST Clare may soon become the windfarm capital of Ireland with plans lodged for two major windfarm developments with the planning authorities last week.
These projects include the construction of what could be the largest ever windfarm undertaken in the county at Slaghbooly in Kilmaley, as well as separate plans for the construction of what would be the tallest turbines ever built in Clare at Cahermurphy in Kilmihil.
Slaghbooly Wind Farm Limited lodged plans to construct a 29-turbine windfarm in Kilmaley with An Bord Pleanala last week. The plans were lodged under the Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) process, which allows for the developers of very large projects, which are considered to be of national importance, to gain planning permission directly from the planning board and not from Clare County Council.
The SID process is reserved for very large projects and no Clare windfarm has ever received it initial planning through an SID. Only the € 200 million West Clare Renewable Energy project, which when completed will provide enough electricity for all of Clare and Limerick, has been the subject of an SID – and that was only after it received its initial planning through Clare County Council.
While there is no concrete documented lodged in relation with this project, the fact that it is being considered for an SID would indicate it is likely to be large in scale.
Meanwhile, Mid Clare Renewable Energy lodged plans for four windfarms at Cahermurphy in Kilmihil with Clare County Council last week. According to information lodged with Clare County Council, these windfarms would have a maximum ground to blade tip height of 131 metres. This amounts to a height of around 429 feet or well over half the height of the Cliffs of Moher at its highest point.
This planning permission is based on a previous successful planning permission granted at the same location for a smaller scale development. The planning permission also mentions improving road access to the site and the construction of a wind anemometry mast, which could itself reach up to 90 metres in height.
The largest windfarm in Ireland is located in Tipperary and has a height of 140 metres from ground to blade tip.