Donegal County Council refuses permission for battery energy storage plant at N13 LISTILLION, LETTERKENNY, Co. Donegal

In context

It is one of 5 battery storage applications Donegal County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 59 nationally. Of the 72 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 78% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 27 May 2026. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELECTRICITY STORAGE FACILITY COMPRISING OF A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (BESS), WITHIN A TOTAL SITE AREA OF UP TO 6.1HA TO INCLUDE ONE ELECTRICAL COMPOUNT, ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER/INVERTER STATION MODULES, BATTERY STORAGE ENCLOSURES (BSES), POWER CONVERSION SYSTEMS ON CONCRETE SUPPORT STRUCTURES, ATTENUATION PONDS, INDICATIVE 110KV BURIED IMPORT/EXPORT CABLE AND INDICATIVE 110KV SUBSTATION TO FACILITATE CONNECTION TO THE EXISTING 110KV LETTERKENNY SUBSTATION, UPGRADED ACCESS TRACKS, CRANE HARDSTANDING, ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL DUCTING, PALISADE SECURITY FENCING AND CCTV SYSTEM, LANDSCAPING WORKS, LIGHTING POLES AND ALL OTHER ANCILLARY AND MISCELLANEOUS SITE WORKS INCLUDING CLEARANCE. A NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT (NIS) ACCOMPANIES THIS APPLICATION