Despite a planning knock-back, Clare looks set for a new wind farm taller than Liberty Hall

THE ESB HAS been given the go ahead to build a large wind farm in County Clare with multiple turbines that would be taller than Dublin’s Liberty Hall.

Permission was granted several years ago to the semi-state electricity company for nine turbines at the proposed Boolynagleragh wind farm in Knockatunna and Rathcroney in Clare.

The company wanted to develop an additional seven turbines at the site but planning permission for this was refused by the local county council.

The ESB appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála, which found in its favour and granted the extension to the suggested site.

The proposed development now consists of 16 turbines and would have a combined generation capacity of 37 megawatts, enough to meet the electricity needs of about 16,000 homes a year.

Based on industry standards, the development would likely cost in the region of €50 million.

Reviewing development

A spokesman for ESB Wind Development, the arm of the semi-state that received permission to build on the site, said that it is “currently reviewing options to develop this project in line with ESB’s renewable commitments”.

If the company goes ahead with the plan, each of the turbines at the site will be between 75 metres to 80 metres tall, taller than Dublin’s Liberty hall – which stands at just over 59 metres.

However its scale would still be less than several similar projects, including wind farms in counties Cavan and Cork that stand at around 100 metres.

Liberty Hall in Dublin

In 2011, Hibernian Wind Power, a fully-owned subsidiary of the ESB, received permission to develop 11 turbines at the Boolynagleragh site. However, An Bord Pleanála ordered that two turbines should be omitted from the project.

In 2014, the ESB applied to Clare County Council to expand the project by adding seven turbines to the nine it already had permission for. This was knocked back by the council, a decision which led to the ESB appealing the rejected application to An Bord Pleanála.

In 2015, the board refused planning permission for the expansion, saying that a completed environmental impact statement was “inadequate”. Once the company supplied extra detail, it was given approval for the expanded project.

No unacceptable impact

In its decision, the board said that the overall proposed development “either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, would not have any significant adverse impacts on the environment”.

It also said that the development would not have an “unacceptable impact on the landscape” and added that it wouldn’t “seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.

There are several other large wind farms nearby, including a 29-turbine farm on the Slieve Callan mountain currently in development.