Major solar farm in the offing for Blackwater Bog
Parts of Blackwater Bog, just a kilometre from Clonmacnoise and Shannonbridge, could become home to a major solar farm in the future, it's been revealed.
New plans unveiled by Bord na Móna and ESB this week indicate their intention to submit a planning application in 2023 for a new solar farm on the 5,700-acre Blackwater Bog.
However, the study area being examined for this development covers less than half of the bog consisting of approximately 1,079 hectares or 2,666 acres,
Blackwater Bog was synonymous with the production of milled peat for decades for power generation at the now-closed West Offaly Power station.
The proposed development at Blackwater Bog, only 6km southwest of Ballinahown and approximately 6.5km west of Ferbane, would see the installation of rows (arrays) of solar PV panels on mounted frames across a portion of the site to generate electricity.
An information booklet outlining the project says the size of the solar farm will depend on a number of different criteria that are currently being assessed, for example, spacing between the panels, the slope of the landscape, proposed height of the arrays, and the rating (in watts) of each panel.
As a general guide, one megawatt (MW) of Solar PV panels will typically require a net area of 2 hectares but this can vary between 1.6 and 2.2 hectares, the booklet adds.
At this stage of the project, Bord na Móna is seeking to consult with the local community about the solar farm plans and to get feedback on the proposed development.
Subject to Covid-19 restrictions, the semi-state company intends to hold community engagement sessions in March in the locality. Two events are listed on the project website - on Tuesday, March 8 from 5-8 pm in Shannonbridge Community Hall, and on Wednesday, March 9 from 5-8 pm in High Street Hall, Belmont.
In the meantime, the public can complete the online survey via the dedicated project website www.blackwatersolarfarm.ie.
In April 2017, Bord na Móna and ESB announced a co-development agreement to develop solar power in four locations in Roscommon, Offaly and Kildare, which will provide renewable energy to power the equivalent of 150,000 homes per annum.
Renewable energy is a strategic growth area for both companies and is aligned with both companies plans to help reduce carbon emissions, according to the project information booklet. The co-development agreement assessed part of Bord na Móna’s land bank in strategic locations across the Midlands which would be suitable for large-scale solar energy projects to support Ireland’s energy transition.
At a local level, the developers say the benefits arising from the construction and operation of the proposed Blackwater Solar Farm would include a Community Benefit Fund, a number of jobs created during construction that are not specified, substantial rates paid to the relevant local authority, and a number of long-term jobs in security and maintenance, again no figure is specified.
Although the solar farm itself would not be accessible to the public, it is proposed that the development will provide amenity access that can be enjoyed by the local community through the provision of access trails.