Project Overview
In 2024, Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables, two leading low-carbon energy providers, announced their formation of a joint venture to develop a series of onshore wind energy projects. As part of this joint venture, it is proposed to develop a wind farm on Derryfadda, Boughill and Gowla Bogs located in County Galway, along the border with County Roscommon. The proposed wind farm will be known as Derryfadda Wind Farm.
The proposed development will contribute towards the goals set out in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024 and will also offer new economic opportunities across the region. Working together, both companies will leverage their extensive expertise, resources, and presence across Ireland to generate positive outcomes for communities, local economies and climate change. The partnership will have strong commitments to community investment, delivering new public amenities where possible, and contributing to biodiversity net gain across all sites.
As the project is at a very early stage, the proposed number, location and height of turbines have not yet been determined.
As the project is at a very early stage, the proposed number and location of turbines have not yet been determined.
As the project is at a very early stage, the proposed height of turbines has not yet been determined.
A visual amenity setback distance, of 4 times the tip height, between a wind turbine and the nearest residential property is proposed, subject to a mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres.
It is envisaged that a planning application will be lodged in late 2025 for the proposed development.
For most large-scale projects, a key consideration is whether a development is Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) or not? Energy infrastructure which is considered SID includes: “An installation for the harnessing of wind power for energy production (a wind farm) with more than 25 turbines or having a total output greater than 50 megawatts”.
The Project Team will need to go through a preplanning consultation process with An Bord Pleanála to determine with certainty who the consenting authority will be. Irrespective of the Consenting Authority, it is our view that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be required as supporting documentation to the planning application. To learn more about the SID process please visit: www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/strategic-infrastructure-development
The electricity generated by the turbines will be transmitted directly onto Ireland’s National Grid which is managed by EirGrid for distribution around the country. The proposed development will make a significant contribution to Irelands Climate Action Plan 2024, which has a set a target of 9GW of onshore wind capacity by 2030.
Over the coming months, in order to determine the extent of the proposed development the project team will undertake a number of on-site surveys on Derryfadda, Boughill and Gowla Bogs, such as ecology surveys, ornithology surveys, aquatic surveys, heritage surveys and site investigation works. Additionally, the project team will also commence a series of off-site surveys, such as noise monitoring at sensitive receptors around the site and a range of environmental baseline surveys of the proposed grid connection and proposed haul routes.
The draft wind turbine layout will be available at the second round of public consultations and will provide detail on the setback distance, location, height and number of proposed turbines. Samples of the photomontages which will form part of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for this proposed development will be provided at the second round of public consultations. Photomontages are visualisations that superimpose an image of a proposed development upon a photograph or series of photographs and are used to illustrate the potential impact of a development on the existing landscape. A number of photomontages will be created as part of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for the proposed wind farm.