13.9-hectare solar farm proposed at LIFFORD PO, Co. Donegal

In context

It is one of 7 solar farm applications Donegal County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 337 nationally. Of the 573 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 92% were granted.

What happens next

The five-week window for public submissions has closed. The council normally decides within eight weeks of the application being lodged, unless it requests further information, which stops the clock.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Donegal County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

A 10-YEAR PLANNING PERMISSION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR FARM DEVELOPMENT AND ALL ASSOCIATED SITE WORKS. THE DEVELOPMENT WILL CONSIST OF LINEAR ARRAYS OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS ON GROUND MOUNTED FRAMES OVER TWO ADJACENT PLOTS OF CA. 13.88 HECTARES OVERALL AREA, INCLUDING: ASSOCIATED CABLING & DUCTING; A 20KV ELECTRICAL CONTROL BUILDING; SITE ENTRANCES AND ACCESS TRACKS; TRANSFORMERS AND INVERTERS; PERIMETER FENCING UP TO 2.5 METRES HIGH; POLE MOUNTED CCTV CAMERAS UP TO 3 METRES HIGH; UNDERGROUNDED ELECTRICAL CABLE TO CONNECT THE TWO SEPARATE SOLAR FARM PLOTS; TEMPORARY CONTRACTOR’S COMPOUND AND TEMPORARY STORAGE AREA; AND ALL ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT AND ANCILLARY WORKS. THE PROPOSED UNDERGROUND GRID CONNECTION CABLE OF CA. 607 METRES LENGTH WILL BE INSTALLED ALONG THE L-5754 AND L-1074 LOCAL ROADS FROM THE PROPOSED ON-SITE ELECTRICAL CONTROL BUILDING INTO THE EXISTING CONVOY ESB SUBSTATION. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE A 40-YEAR OPERATIONAL LIFESPAN FROM THE DATE OF COMMISSIONING. THE DEVELOPMENT IS COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE (RED III) RENEWABLE ENERGY DIRECTIVE III (DIRECTIVE (EU) 2023/2413)