Permission has been granted to construct a battery farm in North Kerry.
Kerry County Council has granted permission to Cork-based Fastnet Energy Storage Limited to build a large battery storage facility at Shronebeirne near Listowel.
The project will include the battery units themselves, the equipment needed to connect them to the electrical grid, a control building, security fencing, and and a CCTV monitoring system.
The auxiliary equipment includes HVAC cooling and inverter hardware, an electrical substation, grid transformer, and a foul water holding tank.
The council approved the development on 18 conditions, including that the developer pay nearly €130,000 (€129,562.50) for public infrastructure, a bond of €90,000 to cover potential road damage to the L1023 to R523, and only use approved haulage routes.
Other conditions include that groundworks be archaeologically monitored, that a recorded archaeological monument be fenced off, that there be no noisy works between March and July without permission to protect breeding hen harriers, and that an otter holt be provided.
There will also be several measures to blend the development in with its surroundings, including retaining existing trees and hedgerows, planting native trees and making the entrance gates, fencing, buildings, and equipment finishes dark grey.
