Tirlán has been granted planning permission for a solar farm at Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny.
Kilkenny County Council has approved a 10-year planning permission for a solar photo-voltaic (PV) development on a 13ha site close to its existing processing facility.
The development will include solar panels on ground-mounted frames; string inverters; a containerised transformer unit; post and wire fencing; a CCTV system with four pole-mounted cameras, along with landscaping.
Underground electrical cables will connect the solar PV development to the existing onsite substation.
Kilkenny solar farm
The approval for the solar farm in Co. Kilkenny has been granted subject to 17 planning conditions.
Among the conditions is a stipulation that Tirlán must pay the county council €81,650 as part of the Development Contribution Scheme.
This money is in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in Kilkenny County Council’s administrative area.
Another conditional requirement is that the solar farm structures be removed no “later than 40 years after the commencement of the development” and the site be reinstated, unless planning permission has been granted for their retention.
Tirlán will also have to employ the services of an archaeologist to oversee the site clearance works.
Also, all mitigation measures set out in the environmental report submitted with the application documentation must be strictly implemented.
Among the conditions is the requirement to submit a final Environmental Construction Management Plan for agreement, prior to work starting, in the interest of protecting the environment.
The electricity generated by the solar farm will connect directly to Tirlan’s Ballyragget facility and will supply approximately 60% of the daytime imported electricity requirements, according to the company.