Energy company can fasttrack planning application for Offaly solar farm substation

THE company planning a massive solar farm in north Offaly will be able to bypass the County Council when applying for permission to build an electricity substation and lay underground cables.

An Bord Pleanala has ruled that a 110kV substation and connection for a 35MW solar farm at Clonin, Rhode, is strategic infrastructure.

This means the developers Highfield Energy can fasttrack their application for consent by going directly to An Bord Pleanala.

The substation will connect the solar panels to the national grid at the existing Derryiron 110kV substation.

In 2017 Offaly County Council granted the company permission for the solar farm, which is proposed across more than 80 hectares of land leased from two local landowners about one kilometre from Rhode village.

Irish company Highfield is a major player in the energy business and last year it linked up with German concern ib vogt and UK company Aura Power to secure financial backing for two other projects, one in Wexford and one in Meath, worth a total of €160m.

Both those projects were successful in the Government's 2020 Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 1) auction.

Highfield say the Rhode solar farm will be capable of powering over 8,000 homes.