Windfarm at Two-Mile Borris, N. Tipperary

Amtmann

This small forest of windmills is visible between junctions 6 and 5 of the M8 towards the west. Driving up yesterday I noticed that all the turbines are operational (the last time I was up that way, the blades seemed locked). Does anyone know anything about this windfarm, such as who runs it and what it generates?

crushproof

Lisheen Mines operate the wind farm, it was built on their site.

As far as I know they plan on building 18 turbines altogether. And they're massive as well!!

101sean

I think it's Ireland's biggest wind farm with the biggest turbines too. Read an article about it a few months back in Earthmovers mag.

Amtmann

Interesting. I'd like to see some pictures of the turbines up close. There are a few more on the Silvermines Mountains, but I haven't seen any on the Galtees or on the Knockmealdowns.

cargo

crushproof wrote: »

Lisheen Mines operate the wind farm, it was built on their site.

As far as I know they plan on building 18 turbines altogether. And they're massive as well!!

It was developed by Lisheen mines on their land but they then sold on the project to SWS Energy. They built and operate it.

Not sure if it's fully operational yet. I know it was been commissioned a few weeks ago so I suspect it is by now. It feeds into Thurles 110kV substation on it's own 110 kV overhead line.

Here's the info on it from SWS website. They also plan a 2nd phase on site as well. (info below also)

http://www.swsenergy.ie/index.php?pageID=109

Introduction
This project consists of 18 Vestas 2MW turbines giving a total generating capacity of 36MW. The site is located near North Tipperary around 15km from Thurles.

History
In April 2008 SWS Energy acquired Lisheen Windfarm Ltd. from Lisheen Mines. The Lisheen wind farm project is located within the boundary of the Mine at Killoran, Moyne, Co. Tipperary on the town lands of Barnalisheen, Cooleeny, Derryfada, Derryville and Killoran. The project received planning permission for twenty turbines of which eighteen 2 megawatt (MW) turbines will be constructed..

Contractors & Programme of Work
There are three main contractors involved in the project; Suir Engineering Ltd, John Sisk & Son Ltd. and Vestas Celtic Wind Technology Ltd.
Suir Engineering Ltd. is responsible for the electrical works which involves the laying of the internal electric cable network as well as associated works at the existing 110kV substation. John Sisk & Son Ltd is responsible for the civil works onsite including the construction of 18 turbine foundations and crane hardstands as well as approximately 4.5km of new site roads. Vestas Celtic Wind Technology Ltd is a leading turbine manufacture and will supply, erect and maintain the 18 wind turbines.
Construction works commenced in mid August 2008. The majority of the civil works were completed by the end of Jan 2009 and turbine delivery/erection started Feb 2009. The project is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2009.

Technical
The wind farm consists of the large commercial turbines (V90) from Vestas. This turbine has a blade diameter of 45m. The nacelle houses a gearbox, generator and transformer, and is located on top of a 95m tubular steel tower. Originally developed as an offshore turbine, the V90 represents the state of the art in wind turbine design.

Environmental
The most beneficial aspect of the wind farm is of course the CO2 emissions it prevents. Ireland generates 92% of its energy from fossil fuel, so there is plenty of room for improvement. The Lisheen wind farm should displace over 80,000 tonnes of CO2 each year of operation. These turbines will have a combined electrical output of 36MW which is enough renewable energy to power over 20,000 homes

Phase 2

http://www.swsenergy.ie/index.php?pageID=111

Lisheen Phase 2

The site is located adjacent to the existing Lisheen Wind Farm in North Co. Tipperary approximately 15kms from Thurles. The site comprises 720 acres, the majority of which is currently used for agriculture and commercial forestry.
A planning permission application has been submitted for 12 turbines with an expected maximum output of 24MW. This 12 turbine, 24MW wind farm is expected to supply enough green energy to power the equivalent of 3,420 homes and could mitigate up to 27,121 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

Project Summary
● 12 turbines
● 24 MW capacity
● Power for equivalent of 3,420

Amtmann

cargo wrote: »

Construction works commenced in mid August 2008. The majority of the civil works were completed by the end of Jan 2009 and turbine delivery/erection started Feb 2009. The project is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2009.

That's a very impressive schedule. I noticed the turbines several times from around January I think, but as I said upthread, the blades were locked until fairly recently. They look very impressive too. I must take a look at those links later. Thanks Cargo!

cargo

Furet wrote: »

That's a very impressive schedule. I noticed the turbines several times from around January I think, but as I said upthread, the blades were locked until fairly recently. They look very impressive too. I must take a look at those links later. Thanks Cargo!

There's a good bit of info on there about various projects they are involved in. They have become major players in the Irish Wind scene very quickly through acquisition of projects that were ready to build.

Zen65

101sean wrote: »

I think it's Ireland's biggest wind farm with the biggest turbines too.

It's not the biggest onshore windfarm by a long shot. You have to look up towards Donegal for that.

Z

D'Peoples Voice

cargo wrote: »

There's a good bit of info on there about various projects they are involved in. They have become major players in the Irish Wind scene very quickly through acquisition of projects that were ready to build.

I'm guessing Hibernian Wind Power will buy them over!

As regards being one of the biggest wind farms, its close

- Meentycat (Donegal I believe) 72.4 MW

- Derrybrien (Galway I believe) 60.35 MW

- Lisheen (Tipperary) 55 MW

- Coomagearlahy (Cork at a guess, it has too many syllables to be anywhere else) 45 MW

- Sorne Hill ( Sligo?) 32 MW

- Glanlee (sounds like somewhere in kerry) 31.6 MW

- Mountain Lodge ( anyone's guess) 30.62 MW

- Coomacheo (Cork I'd say, sounds like a song by Tiffany) 42.5MW

- Ballybane (no idea) 29.9 MW

- Clahane (who's knows) 40 MW

- Coomagearlahy (Cork) 32.5 MW

Pete_Cavan

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

• - Mountain Lodge ( anyone's guess) 30.62 MW

That wind farm is in Cavan.

dowlingm

There's some interesting data out of John Hopkins last month that says wind towers are often placed too close together and therefore don't reach max performance.

popebenny16

They are on the Johnstown - Templetouhy (Templemore) Road beside Touhy Bog and are very impressive close up:

http://img535.imageshack.us/i/48871177237188214114664.jpg/

http://img171.imageshack.us/i/31182857.png/

cargo

cargo wrote: »

Here's the info on it from SWS website. They also plan a 2nd phase on site as well. (info below also)

http://www.swsenergy.ie/index.php?pageID=109

Introduction
This project consists of 18 Vestas 2MW turbines giving a total generating capacity of 36MW. The site is located near North Tipperary around 15km from Thurles.

Just to clarify my own post above, I'm fairly sure these are 3MW V90's from Vestas not the 2MW version mentioned in that article. so it's 18 x 3MW = 55MW.

Big machines none the less with big rotor diameters to take advantage of the lower windspeeds in this location.