Derrynadarragh Wind Farm is a proposed renewable energy project located on the border of East Offaly and West Kildare.
We have now submitted our planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála. If approved, it will consist of 9 wind turbines, producing enough energy to power 30,000 homes every year. Derrynadarragh Wind Farm will provide renewable electricity to homes, farms, businesses, schools, hospitals and other workplaces in Ireland.
The full application can be viewed at www.derrynadarraghplanning.ie
The Project
Community Benefit
As part of our initial consultation, we will be looking to gather information on the needs of the local community and how we can best support the community in the medium and long term.
A community benefit fund will be set up and the distribution of funds will be determined by the community in line with the RESS 2 requirements on Community Benefit Funds. This fund could be worth circa €260,000 per year or €3.9 Million over 15 years.
The Wind Farm
The Derrynadarragh Wind Farm is proposed to be located on the border of East Offaly and West Kildare. The project could potential consist of 9 wind turbines with an output of 55.8MW – 64.8MW, which is enough to power 30,000 homes every year.
9
Wind turbines
750m
minimum set backs from any dwellings
65MW
approximately of emission free renewable electricity being provided to Ireland’s electricity needs
30,000
homes powered by renewable energy
What next?
We have submitted our planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála. The Comission will hold a 6-week statutory public consultation on the proposed project. Shortly, our application and associated environmental reports will be available to view on www.derrynadarraghplanning.ie and www.pleanala.ie, and physical copies will be available to view at the offices of:
• An Coimisiún Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1
• Offaly County Council, Áras an Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
• Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae, JFL Avenue, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, R32 EHP9
• Kildare County Council, Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co. Kildare, W91 X77F.
Members of the public and interested parties can make observations and submissions on the planning application directly to An Coimisiún Pleanála during the public consultation period.
Who is Dara Energy
The project is being developed by Dara Energy limited. Dara Energy is a wholly Irish company with offices in Cork and in Dublin. The project team is highly skilled and knowledgeable with a huge amount of experience, specific to rural Ireland. The project team has a proven history of working successfully in partnership with developers, landowners, and communities to promote sustainable energy sources.
Dara Energy Limited is backed by the Temporis Aurora Fund, whose investors include the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) our purpose is to harness Ireland’s vast wind energy potential to accelerate and deliver Ireland’s transition to a clean, sustainable, low-carbon energy system. The Fund is dedicated exclusively to the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland and the involvement of ISIF gives the people of Ireland a direct stake in our future success. We are passionate about developing our projects in a sustainable way. At Dara Energy we will work closely with local communities and key stakeholders, to ensure their views are heard to maximise the positive impact our projects have on the communities where we operate.
Project Benefits
The benefits of Renewable energy
The change to renewable energy and in particular wind energy, allows for a move away from burning fossil fuels, to green renewable energy sources. In addition to tackling climate change, wind energy provides further benefits such as cleaner air, financial and energy security into the future.
The change to renewable energy also provides financial security into the future on a national level. Once wind farms are built, the fuel is free and the exposure to variable fossil fuel prices is removed. The cost of energy into the future for the country is cheaper and known now well into the future, without increases and fluctuations. We will have the means to power ourselves.
Wind energy provides a clean, sustainable, and reliable solution to our energy problems instead of oil and gas.The benefit of green renewable energy into the future for future generations, benefits us all.
The need for energy security
With a potential installed capacity of up to approximately 55 – 65 MW, the proposed development should be considered economically and socially important to the state in ensuring the security of supply of energy for the Republic of Ireland.
The War in Ukraine has highlighted the exposure and direct impact that the current reliance on imported fuels has on us. Although Ireland does not import fossil fuels from Russia, it does import fossil fuels from other countries. These imported fuels that provide the majority of the electricity supply for the country.
Ireland’s climate action targets and the increased use of renewable energy will ensure that Ireland has a secure, economical, and renewable energy resources for future generations.
Government and EU targets
The proposed Wind Farm will contribute to the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy in line with national policies and objectives such as the ‘Climate Action Plan’ (2023) (CAP), Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act (2021) and various policies.
The Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan aims to produce up to 80% of the country’s electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind, by 2030. This will be achieved through a mix of 5 GW from offshore wind, 8 GW from onshore wind and 1.5-2.5 GW from solar PV.
The CAP sets out targets as follows which rely heavily on wind energy technology:
- Reduce CO2 equivalent emissions from the energy sector by 50–55% relative to 2030 NDP projections;
- Deliver an early and complete phase-out of coal- and peat-fired electricity generation;
- Increase electricity generated from renewable sources to 80%, indicatively comprised of:
- 9 GW of onshore Wind Energy
- 8 GW of Solar Energy
- 7 GW of offshore Wind Energy
In terms of socio-economic benefits, the proposed development will create employment opportunities relating to the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project. The proposed development guarantees annual income for up to 35 years during the operating life of the project to the subsequent landholders.
Additionally, rates will be made payable to Kildare County Council by the developer throughout the operational life and a Community Benefit Scheme put in place. All of these will result in a positive impact on on the area.
Community Benefits
The Derrynadarragh project team will be pro-actively initiating the forming of a community benefit fund, which will administered by the local community, to support local initiatives and causes. We value the relationship as it grows and on all our sites, we will be pro-actively initiating the forming of a community fund.
Publications
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How will the wind farm be accessed during construction and operation?
A new construction access route will be provided through private lands close to the proposed wind farm.
An additional southern access from L-70481 (the Derrylea entrance) will be used for construction on the south side of the river Cushina, for the completion of the bridge crossing. This entrance will be used for the first three months of construction.
2. Will there be any shadow flicker?
A “zero shadow flicker” strategy will be implemented using turbine control software to cease turbine operation during periods when shadow flicker is predicted to occur.
3. Where will the project be built?
Site Layout maps are included in the Publications tab and full planning drawings can be found at www.derrynadarraghplanning.ie.
4. What is the project Timeline?
Depending on when planning consent is provided, it will take approximately 18 months to 2 years to build and mobilise the project.
So, all going to plan the earliest the project could be operational is spring 2029, approximately three years from now.
5. What is the community benefit fund?
A community benefit fund will be established by the wind farm. This fund could be worth circa €260,000 per year or €3.9 Million over 15 years.
The local community will be key to determining how it is to be invested locally. The fund will be distributed in line with the Government’s RESS 2 requirements on Community Benefit Funds.
We want to hear from you, the community, on how the Derrynadarragh Wind Farm community benefit fund could be administered and managed. We are now actively seeking your feedback on the types of groups, projects, and activities that we might be able to support, when the Derrynadarragh Wind Farm project commences.
6. How will the energy be connected to the national electricity grid?
This project will not involve the construction of any new overhead lines / pylons. Included in the planning application is the grid connection route, which is an underground cable to Bracklone Substation.
More Information
RESS Community Benefit Fund Good Practice Principles:
Community Projects and Benefit Funds – RESS (www.gov.ie)
Wind Energy Ireland Frequently Asked questions:
Your wind energy questions answered (windenergyireland.com)
Temporis Aurora ISIF press release:
Temporis launches €150m equity fund for the development of pre-construction renewable energy projects in Ireland (isif.ie)
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