Major battery energy facility proposed for Donegal
Permission sought for an energy storage facility and new grid infrastructure near Buncrana.
Planning permission is being sought for a large-scale Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) facility at Crockahenny Wind Farm between Buncrana and Quigley's Point, in a project aimed at improving the reliability and efficiency of renewable electricity across Inishowen.
Crockahenny Windfarm DAC, an ESB-owned subsidiary, has lodged an application with Donegal County Council seeking a 10-year planning permission for the development. The proposed facility would have an operational lifespan of up to 35 years.
The centrepiece of the development is a long-duration battery energy storage system compound capable of storing electricity for between four and eight hours, with a maximum export capacity of around five megawatts.
Unlike short-duration battery systems that primarily provide support services to the electricity grid, long-duration energy storage enables surplus electricity to be stored when supply exceeds demand and released back to the grid when demand is higher, or electricity supply is lower.
The proposed development includes the installation of an energy storage compound containing battery storage containers, upgrades to the existing customer substation, electrical transformers and inverter units, approximately 50 metres of underground cabling linking the facility to the existing substation, boundary fencing, security gates, CCTV, internal access roads, landscaping and associated site works.
Crockahenny Wind Farm, located in the townland of Crockahenny, was first commissioned in 1998 and is the ESB's oldest wind farm. Earlier this year, Donegal County Council granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the site, allowing ten ageing turbines to be replaced with two modern, more efficient machines.
The project falls under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III), aimed at accelerating the transition to cleaner energy systems across Europe.
Central to the directive are mandatory timelines for the granting of permits across various project types, a move intended to streamline administrative procedures, reduce delays, and support the expansion of sustainable energy infrastructure.
In a separate application, Crockahenny Windfarm DAC is also seeking permission to construct a new 38kV substation on the same site.
That proposal includes the installation of a new 38kV substation building and compound, an ESB line bay, relocation of the existing 38kV cable mast, upgrades to the existing customer substation and power line, approximately 50 metres of underground cabling, electrical equipment, boundary fencing, security entrance gates, CCTV, internal roads, landscaping and associated works.
Donegal County Council is expected to make decisions on both planning applications by the end of August.