Wind farm planning application expected before year-end

The company behind plans for the contentious €100 million Seven Hills Wind Farm in South Roscommon has confirmed it intends to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála by the end of the year.

The plans from Energia and Galetech Energy Developments now comprise of up to 20 turbines, one fewer than originally proposed. Seven are clustered close to Dysart and 13 nearer Taughmaconnell.

Back in July, a final layout for the massive wind farm was published online hot on the heels of the news that the project has been judged a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) - meaning that developers can bypass the council and submit plans directly to An Bord Pleanála for decision. It was then expected that the planning application would be lodged within two months, but that timeline was not met.

The proposed wind farm, which has met strong local opposition, is expected to have a typical output of up to 6MW per turbine and to be capable of generating enough green energy to power nearly 85,000 Irish homes, the company says. The turbines will have a ground to tip height of up to 180 metres.

Electricity generated on-site will be exported via an underground cable to the existing 110kV substation in Athlone, while the grid connection will be installed within the public road network.

Among the townlands earmarked for the massive turbines include Gortaphuill and Cronin in the Dysart area, while the map shows they will also come close to Boleyduff, Cloonacaltry and Skyvalley in Taughmaconnell.

A spokesperson for Energia said on Monday that since the series of community consultations in the summer, the company has continued to engage with members of the public who have sought additional information or had queries about the development.