Largest solar farm yet in Offaly with over 800,00 square metres of solar panels given green light

Plans for the largest solar farm yet in Offaly have been given the green light by Offaly County Council

Harmony Solar has been given permission to build the solar farm on three land parcels between Kilcormac and Rath totaling 142 hectares.

Approval has been given for a ten-year permission and 40 year operation of the solar farm on close to 142 hectares of farm land in the townlands of Dovehill, Grotnamuck, Curraghmore and Freagh. It would include 834,632 square metres of solar photovoltaic panels on ground mounted steel frames. 

There will be three site entrances on the Rath Road, 40 CCTV and lighting posts and underground power and communication cables and ducts. The site will have boundary security fencing.

Planning permission was granted with 21 conditions attached and after the council had twice sought further information on the project.

Among the conditions is a stipulation for a Community Benefit Fund and a Development Contribution to Offaly County Council. Details of how much the council will receive are not included although it does state that it will be based on mega-watt capacity of each phase of the development.

There are also stipulations on when work can be carried out on the large site and limits on noise emissions. 

This is the fourth large solar farm development granted permission in Drumcullen parish with three of them in close proximity to each other.

Planning was granted in March 2021 for 105,000 photovoltaic panels at Rathmount, Mullanafawnia and Russellspenn near the village of Rath.

Planning was granted for 122,904 photovoltaic panels at Ballindown, Bogderries, Ballywilliam and Ballynaguilsha in the parish in August 2021.

And earlier this summer, Summit Solar was given permission to construct a 62 Megawatt solar photovoltaic development divided over two different parcels of land, the first in the townland of Parkmore, close to Rath and Fivealley, and the second in Clonbeale Beg Glebe and Rathure, North of Killyon.