[Article] Biggest [sic] wind farm in Europe given the go-ahead

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2232441?view=Eircomnet

Biggest wind farm in Europe given the go-ahead
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 24th December, 2003
Charlie Weston

THE COMPANY behind the controversial Derrybrien wind farm project in Galway has won a planning appeal to build the largest wind farm in Europe.

ESB subsidiary Hibernian Wind said yesterday it would develop a €300m wind farm at Bellacorick in Co Mayo which will have more than 200 turbines.

Hibernian hit the headlines recently when a landslide near its Derrybrien, Co Galway, wind farm site meant blanket bog slipped more than two kilometres.

The landslide closed local roads, damaged bridges, caused fish kills and resulted in local families being evacuated from their homes. Hibernian denied that work on its site caused the landslide.

Now Hibernian and its partner, Bord na Móna, are set to replace a peat-fired power station with the massive wind farm at Bellacorick.

However, opposition groups, An Taisce and residents near the Bellacorick site have succeeded in having the number of wind turbines for the project reduced.

Hibernian Wind and Bord na Móna had originally applied for permission to install 210 wind turbines. This would have generated 320 megawatts of power.

But the appeal process through An Bord Pleanála will have the effect of reducing the number of turbines to 180, which is likely reduce the output to around 250 megawatts.

An existing wind farm at Bellacorick consists of 21 turbines, and has been in operation since 1992.

The two semi-state companies said it would take around 10 years to bring the total number of turbines to more than 200, which would have the potential to power 200,000 homes.

The existing peat-fired power station at Bellacorrick is due to close at the end of 2004. A ballot of its workers on a closure package is due to be held early in the New Year.

More than 100 people are expected to be employed during the construction of the Bellacorick wind farm project, while 20 permanent jobs will be created.

Bord na Móna's John Lynch said the development of the project will dovetail with the cessation of peat production operations.

K2

wind power is now being labelled as "oilfields in the sky"

Given proper planning and local input, this should be the future. However the track record in the planning area in this country leaves a lot to be desired:rolleyes:

K2

btw, it should make for quite an impressive sight from the top of Nephin when completed. The few that are already there look far better than the chimney stack of the old peat burning station.

Eurorunner

Nice to see the odd progressive development in ireland.

Sesshoumaru

I wonder what they thought was the difference between 210 wind turbines and 180 wind turbines? Is 180 a lucky number or something?

Capt'n Midnight

How about selling advertising space on the blades ?
or putting a little cage on them - a lá funderland

you could have self financiing windmills

vinnyfitz

Originally posted by Sesshoumaru
I wonder what they thought was the difference between 210 wind turbines and 180 wind turbines? Is 180 a lucky number or something?

In fairness to the Board they always publish their reasons in this case in the list here


This is from the downloadable word doc.

"5. The development shall be modified as follows:

(a) The following turbines shall be omitted from the scheme: A.04, A.05, B.03, B.04, B.05, B.06, B.12, B.14, C.03, C.04, C.05, C.06, D.03, D.04, D.05, D.06, D.07, E.05, E.06, G.20, J.12, K.12, K.21, M.02, M.08, M.21, N.05, N.08, P.19, and S.17.

(b) The remaining turbines shall not be located within 100 metres from the site boundary without the written consent of the adjacent landowner.

(c) The remaining turbines shall be re-positioned to ensure minimum separation distances of at least 1,000 metres from any occupied dwelling and 100 metres from the Oweninny and Owenmore Rivers and their existing tributaries.

(d) Access tracks, power lines and associated poles and pylons shall be re-positioned to ensure minimum separation distance of 100 metres from the Oweninny and Owenmore Rivers and their tributaries.

(e) In the interest of clarity, this permission is for 180 turbines.

Prior to commencement of development, the developer shall submit to the planning authority for written agreement a revised scaled layout plan showing compliance with this condition.

Reason: In the interest of residential and visual amenity, nature conservation, and in the interest of clarity."