Kerry County Council has granted planning for a company to install over 650,000-square-metres of solar panels in North Kerry.
Harmony Solar Kilmorna Ltd had applied for ten-year planning permission for the solar farm, spread across three parcels of land east of Kilmorna, Listowel.
The 143-hectare site in total, is across the townlands of Knocknacaheragh, Lacka East, Rea, Trien, Pilgrim Hill, and Shronebeirne.
The application originally sought planning for 684,000-square-metres of solar panels, but this was reduced to just under 668,000 during the planning process.
It had been proposed to install the solar photovoltaic panels on ground-mounted steel frames, over the course of 18 months.
The solar farm is to be connected to the national grid by way of an under-the-fence connection into the existing Knockanure substation near this site.
The company also plans to install an on-site transformer which will step up the voltage from the 33 kV cable to 110 kV to allow it to connect to the Knockanure substation.
A new 24.7-hectare biodiversity area will be provided in the northern end of the eastern parcel to bolster the surrounding area, which is a Special Protection Area and a Hen Harrier habitat.
Kerry County Council’s planner noted that subject to compliance with planning conditions, the development would support the council’s commitment to renewable energy.
41 conditions were attached to the granting of permission, including that construction, noisy maintenance and decommissioning works will not be undertaken in the Knocknacaheragh section of the solar farm during the bird breeding season, from 1st March to 31st August.
The council also wrote that this permission shall not be construed as any form of consent or agreement to connection to the national grid, which is managed by Eirgrid.
The planning permission lasts for ten years, and the solar farm will be operational for 40 years.
