Sligo County Council grants permission for battery energy storage plant at Ballysumaghan, Srananagh, Co. Sligo

In context

There were 59 nationally in the past twelve months. 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 3 October 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

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

The development will consist of an enclosed battery energy storage system compound on c. 2.04 hectares. The development will consist of up to 15 no. BESS units comprising of battery cells, modules and racks set within containers stored on concrete bases and ancillary equipment (4 no. BESS containers within each ‘BESS unit’); an individual unit inverter at each BESS unit with some additional ancillary equipment; a Transformer Compound, Control building (including control room and switch room), Interface Kiosk and all associated electrical infrastructure equipment and works; attenuation drainage pond to the northwest of the site; a temporary site compound and all associated works (to be located to the south of the BESS site); a new vehicular entrance to local road and all associated internal access tracks; associated electrical underground cabling and ducting works facilitating the connection of proposed electrical substation to the adjacent Srananagh transmission station; all associated site development, lighting, landscaping, CCTV, security fencing, boundary treatment works above and below ground and all associated ancillary infrastructure.