Plans have been unveiled for two separate solar farms in North Kerry which would cover over 500-hectares of land.
Knockanure Renewables (Kerry) Limited has announced plans for a 354-hectare solar farm on agricultural lands in the Knockanure area.
Separately, BNRG Laccamore plans to build two solar farms on separate landholdings, comprising a total of 154-hectares in North Kerry.
The proposed Knockanure Solar Farm is to be constructed in the townlands of Kealid, Carhooearagh, Gortdromagownagh, Lissaniska (Newtownsandes), Beenaspuck, Pilgrimhill, Shronebeirne, Lacka and Trien.
The company behind the plans is a group of local farmers to secure planning permission for a solar farm on their and like-minded neighbours lands around Knockanure.
The group says about 70% of the 354-hectares planned for development are open grasslands and can still be used by smaller livestock to graze around the solar panels, which would be operational for 40 years.
A new substation is proposed for the solar farm, while an underground cable grid connection would transport electricity from the new substation to the existing ESB Knockanure substation.
Separately, BNRG Laccamore plans to build a 122-megawatt solar farm on two separate landholdings; a 30-hectare site in the townlands of Parkmore and Tullacrimeen, and a 124-hectare site straddles the townlands of Laccamore, Knocknacaska and Fahavane.
BNRG is a solar energy company based in Dublin but operating all over the world; the company says this proposed solar farm would power the equivalent of 21,600* household energy needs, saving around 33,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
This would be connected to the grid via a loop-in substation to the existing 110kV EirGrid transmission line, which is the subject of a separate planning application, with a battery energy storage system.
The company hopes this solar farm would be operational by 2029.
More information is available on the proposed Knockanure solar farm here, while all feedback should be sent to [email protected].
More information on the Laccamore/Parkmore solar farm is available here.
