Project Being Considered

Project at a glance

  • 8 turbine project
  • Maximum turbine heights of 175m
  • Distance to the nearest turbine – over 700m
  • Over 48MW of renewable energy to the Irish electricity grid
  • Zero shadow flicker policy
  • Underground cable to connect the proposed project from its on-site substation to an off-site substation which is connected to the grid
  • Total Community Benefit Fund of circa €3.5 million over 15 years, depending on the final design
  • Recreational, community and biodiversity improvements associated with the development​
    Annual rates payments to Cork County Council of over €15.4 million over the lifetime of the project
  • Associated works will include access tracks, turbine foundations and hardstanding areas, drainage works, a temporary site compound, underground electrical and communications cables between turbines and an underground cable to connect the proposed project to a substation

Project Proposal

We believe this proposal has the capacity to deliver climate action while bringing very real benefits to the local area and its people.

This proposal is to develop an 8-turbine wind farm in the Shehy Mountains, West Cork. At the initial stages of consideration, designers drafted a project outline that would maximise the wind energy potential of the site. Placing local appropriateness as a fundamental consideration, further optimisation of this design was carried out. This has resulted in some changes to the project and its consenting process. There will now be two planning applications submitted:

  • As the total output is now reduced to 48MW, the wind farm and turbine delivery route will be submitted as one application to Cork County Council in late Q2 2024.
  • The substation and grid connection will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in late Q2/early Q3 2024 as it qualifies as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID). 
     

Other key changes include:

  • Grid Route: Two grid routes have been assessed and were presented in a pre-planning application to Cork County Council – the preferred grid route will be identified and submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
  • Substation: The substation and temporary construction compound have been micro-sited (by 50 meters) to lessen the environmental impact.  
  • Met Mast: The temporary met mast was removed from the site in Q4 2023

It is important to Statkraft that our projects are considered in terms of the climate challenges being addressed. It is also vital that they are appropriate for the area, suitably located and delivered as part of a just transition. In addition, these projects bring real benefits to local people and support the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of local areas.

Local appropriateness is a fundamental consideration, so community feedback on the design proposal is very welcome.

Projects like Gortloughra Wind Farm enable communities to utilise their own natural resources and provide clean affordable energy solutions that reduce carbon emissions and our dependence on expensive fossil fuels.

 

 

LOCATION

Gortloughra Wind Farm Location Map

Click image to open map

The need for this project

The impacts of climate change on our world are indisputable. We are all being challenged to consider the role we play in climate action and how we can reduce our reliance on costly and polluting imported fossil fuels. The world is getting warmer, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. We cannot stop climate change, but we can take action to address it. Renewable energy development is a vital part of that action.

The energy price hikes experienced across Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have put huge pressure on households and businesses, and exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis. Our electricity demands are also on the rise and providing sufficient supplies to avoid potential power shortages has become ever more challenging.

Furthermore, Ireland's energy security has come into sharp focus. Having our own secure, sustainable supply will shield us from global market energy price increases and continue to help protect families and businesses from the worst effects of a crisis caused by our reliance on fossil fuels. We can tap into our own natural resources and roll out clean, affordable energy that won’t break the bank.