DEMAND FOR SOLAR FARMS
WEXFORD’S reputation as the ‘Sunny South East’ has led to no less than seven applications for solar farms being made to Wexford County Council during the past month. If all were granted, the solar panels would cover a total of roughly 180 hectares or 445 acres of land in various parts of the county.
Highfield Solar Limited is looking for a ten-year permission for a solar farm at Tomfarney, Clonroche. It’s proposed to construct a solar PV energy development within a 19.9 hectare site, including a single storey electrical sub-station, an electrical transformer/inverter, station modules, and solar PV panels, ground-mounted on steel support structures, as well as access roads, fencing, and associated cabling, ducting, and ancillary infrastructure.
Separately, the company has applied for a ten-year permission for a solar farm at Monfin, Enniscorthy, It would include similar infrastructure on a 12.7 hectare site.
The same company has also lodged an application for a ten-year permission for a larger solar farm, with similar infrastructure on a site with a total area of 89.46 hectares (221.06 acres) at Ballyminaun Big, Gra- hormick, Hilltown, Jonastown, Newhouse, Gibboghstown, Garryhask, Crosstown, Killinick, and Tomhaggard. This site would have a second single storey electrical building.
Meanwhile, earlier in the month, Arena Capital Partners Ltd lodged an application for a solar photovoltaic panel array at on a 22.75 hectare site at Ballykereen, Rosslare.
This facility would have a maximum export capacity of 11 MW and would consist of up to 46,000 solar panels on ground mounted steel frames. The site would have two electricity control buildings and a communications building, a storage shed, and seven electrical transformer/inverter modules.
A third company Power Capital Renewal Energy Limited lodged an application for an up to 5 MW solar PV farm, consisting of 20,000 panels on 12.94 hectares at Ballycarney. This development would include the construction of a site access road onto the R745.
Power Capital lodged a separate application for second solar farm on 10.84 hectares at Ballycarney, with around 20,000 panels.
The company also applied for a solar farm in the Wexford district at Ballygoman, Carrick, on a 11.74 hectare site. It would feature around 17,500 solar panels.