Wicklow wind farm plan is re-submitted

An application to develop a wind farm at Kilranelagh Hill has been lodged with Wicklow County Council. ABO Wind Ireland Ltd have applied for permission to construct five 165m wind turbines at Kilranelagh Hill, outside Baltinglass. Their application was re-submitted and validated by Wicklow County Council’s planning section. An application submitted last month was deemed incomplete by the local authority. The project includes the construction of five wind turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 165m, a transformer at each turbine, an electrical substation, underground cabling along the public roads to facilitate the connection of the wind farm substation to the existing Stratford substation and other associated site works. Permission is also to be sought for a 1km heritage trail, car parking, replacement of the existing grass verge with a footway at several bridge crossings and other associated site works.

Read the full article @ Wicklow People

Anglo-Irish Deal Opens Potential For €1.6 Billion Renewable Energy Export Industry

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) has welcomed the signing of an historic deal between Ireland and the UK Government that will potentially pave the way for exploiting Ireland’s unique wind energy resources. Both Governments have agreed to co-operate on developing the major wind and marine resource in and around Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

IWEA chief executive Dr Michael Walsh says the deal may be seen in time as a milestone moment for Ireland in terms of maximizing the potential of the wind sector.
“It’s early days yet and we await the detail of what’s in the deal but it certainly is a major step in the right direction and potentially paves the way for what we believe could be a €1.6 billion annual export industry for Ireland and total new employment in the sector of 28,000 jobs,” he explains. “This deal, perhaps more than anything else that has gone before recognises the huge potential from wind energy on the island of Ireland given that it is a trading partner and not just ourselves that has recognised that the wind resource we have here is unique and largely underutilised. We have long since in the IWEA trumpeted the potential for exporting wind energy from Ireland and this deal will hopefully bring it to fruition, sooner rather than later.”

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Grid operator blown away by wind power's record output

IT was a big moment for wind power. Last Thursday at 7.45pm, a new record was set for the amount of electricity produced by wind power.

National grid operator Eirgrid said yesterday 1,196 megawatts of electricity were generated -- enough to power 250,000 homes.

And using wind instead of fossil fuels prevented 600 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the primary cause of global warming, from being generated.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland also said it would have cost about €80,000 to produce an equivalent amount of power in a traditional gas-fired plant.

The Irish Wind Energy Association said yesterday that wind power generation had delivered over half of Ireland's electricity needs a number of times this year.

By 2020, the Government wants 40pc of all power to be produced from renewable sources, and Ireland was set to meet that target, chief executive Dr Michael Walsh said.

"Ireland is leading the way in demonstrating that high levels of power generation from wind are achievable," Dr Walsh said.

Paul Melia
Irish Independent
.ie
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Windfarm set to bypass council's planners

MORE DETAILS have emerged about a west-Clare based company’s plan to build the Midwest’s largest ever windfarm project at Shragh and Mountrivers in Doonbeg.

Each turbine will be 122m (400ft) high and the overall investment cost is about €100 million.

The proposal by Clare Coastal Wind Power Ltd for the west-Clare area is also set to be Clare’s first “strategic infrastructure” development case, thereby by-passing Clare County Council’s planning department.

Instead, the company is hoping that the planning application will be decided on by An Bord Pleanála, reducing the time spent in the planning process.

A spokeswoman for An Bord Pleanála yesterday confirmed that the appeals board is to hold a meeting this week with the company as discuss whether the application will be accepted as a strategic infrastructure application.

She said the process could involve three to four meetings being held with the applicants. A decision would be made before the end of this year, she said.

One of the company’s directors, businessman Michael Clohessy, yesterday declined to comment on the plan pending the community groups being briefed on the project this week.

Others directors include businessman Rico Pueschmann, of Brattenburg, Germany, carpenter Cathal Haugh, of Doonbeg and chartered accountant Donal O’Sullivan of Moore St, Kilrush.

Mr Clohessy is the largest shareholder with 3,600 shares with Mr Pusechmann and Mr Haugh having 2,700 shares and Mr O’Sullivan having 1,000 shares.

The Clare Coastal Wind Power Ltd plan is more than 50 per cent bigger than the previous largest plan lodged for the 31 turbine plan at Mount Callan that was granted planning permission by the council two weeks ago.

Plans have also been lodged by McMahon Finn Wind Acquisitions Ltd for 12 turbines at Coor West, Miltown Malbay and Shanavogh West Mullagh.

Irish Times

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Go-ahead for wind farm despite bird fears

Clare County Council has given the go-ahead to a €20 million six-turbine wind farm in spite of concerns expressed by the council’s heritage officer over whooper swans and Greenland white-fronted geese that use the area.

The planning authority has given the go-ahead to CP Energy for the 390ft wind farm at Tullabrack, north of Kilrush.

An Bord Pleanála previously refused permission for a wind farm on the site as it was identified as being in close proximity to a direct flight path of the birds.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Tesco's windmills dwarf Liberty Hall

Tesco's plan to build two wind turbines - taller than Liberty Hall - in the north Dublin countryside is being challenged by local residents.

Appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against a decision for the go-ahead to the plan.

The turbines are so tall that search and rescue helicopters will have to plot new routes to safely bypass the turbines in poor visibility.

In addition, air traffic control at Dublin Airport has concerns that the two turbines - which would soar nearly 100 metres over Donabate, Portrane and the surrounding areas - would be picked up by its radar system.

As well as the residents' move to block the plan, Tesco itself is appealing conditions set down by Fingal County Council planners.

The turbines are to be built to help power the retail giant's distribution centre in Donabate. They will have a support base of 65 metres, topped by a huge blade that will bring the total height to 91 metres.

By comparison, Liberty Hall is just 60 metres and the country's tallest building - the Elysian in Cork - is 72 metres in height.

Following concerns raised by both the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Dublin Airport, Tesco engaged a consultancy to determine the potential impact. The major concerns expressed by the IAA were addressed and Fingal County Council granted permission subject to 15 strict conditions.

In its appeal, the Donabate Portrane Community Council cites the local authority's development plan, which states that renewable energy developments should not have an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

The appeal states that photomontages included with the planning application "clearly show the surrounding area visually impacted significantly".

Particular concerns are raised over the the impact on Newbridge Demesne - a heritage area of national importance - Broadmeadows estuary and Rogerstown estuary, which are both designated Special Conservation Areas.

"The turbines will be visible from within Newbridge Demesne," the appeal states. "Newbridge Demesne is not only a public amenity, it is a tourist attraction and decreasing its attraction has economic consequences for the Donabate area."

Local residents, John and Maeve Riordan, complain in their appeal that the turbines would visually dominate the area. They also describe the potential impact on flight paths from Dublin Airport as a "primary concern."

Planning permission was granted after information was clarified with the IAA, but the organisation "continued to issue caution", the appeal points out.

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Tesco's massive turbines to eclipse tallest building

Retail giant Tesco is to be granted planning permission to construct two massive 300-feet high wind turbines at its distribution centre in north Dublin that, when completed, will be taller than the Republic's tallest building, The Elysian in Cork.

Fingal Co Council has just given the provisional go-ahead for the two wind turbines that will each have a 213-feet tall support base and 85-feet wide blades that will bring the total height of the structures to 91 metres. That's slightly under 300 feet and makes them about 30 feet higher than the Elysian and nearly half the height of the landmark Poolbeg power station chimneys in Dublin.

The council recently indicated its intention to approve planning permission for the development, which will help power the distribution centre, while previous opponents of the plan can now take their case to An Bord Pleanála.

It is understood that the turbines need to be so high in order to capture enough wind to generate a viable amount of electricity.

The towers are so tall that search and rescue helicopters will have to plot new routes to safely bypass the turbines during adverse weather, while air traffic control at Dublin Airport had concerns that two turbines would be picked up by its radar system. That had the potential for the huge structures to be mistaken for light aircraft.

Tesco originally applied for permission to construct the turbines in 2007, but withdrew that application before putting it to the council again last year.

Following concerns raised by both the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Dublin Airport, Tesco engaged a consultancy to determine the potential impact. The report found that the turbines will occasionally generate so-called 'primary target' echoes on the airport's radar system, depending on weather conditions.

Primary targets are generated by land-based radar systems without any additional information being provided to the system by identification equipment on board aircraft.

The report also found that on 'rare occasions', the turbines could produce what are known as 'false plots' - which are radar signals received that don't correspond to the actual position of a real aircraft.

However, the major concerns expressed by the IAA were addressed.

Locals branded the plan as inappropriate and said that solar panels would have been better.

The Irish Independent

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Council still awaits new details on wind farms

DONEGAL County Council is awaiting further details on contentious plans for a wind farm near Glenties, with up to 35 turbines that would be higher than the Spire in Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

The turbines, each with a hub height of 80 metres and a blade diameter of 90 metres, would be located in the townlands of Graffy, Meenagrubby, Meenaleenaghan, Meenachuit, Dalraghan More, Meenamenragh, Meenavale, Greenans, Stralinchy and Mully.

The developer, Ballybofey businessman PJ Molloy, owns some land in the area – known for its mountain scenery – and has negotiated permission from local farmers to locate the V90 turbines on their properties, reportedly for a rent of €12,000 annually.

Although its name is not mentioned in the planning application, the project is backed by a German company, Wind Prospect, which describes itself as “a leading independent wind energy developer . . . working in the UK, Ireland, China, Australia, New Zealand and Canada”. To date, Wind Prospect has “developed and/or constructed some 50 projects across the world in some of the most challenging locations and terrains”, with over 1,000MW on approved sites and a further 400MW at various stages in the development process.

Last November, Donegal County Council planners sought further information on the Glenties plan, including the omission of four of the 3MW turbines, after it emerged two householders had not given consent to have them located within 500m of their homes.

Altogether, 54 houses would be located within 2km of one or more of the turbines. Of these, 49 would be within 1km, 21 within 500m, 18 within 400m, six within 250m, four within 150 metres, two within 100m, and one within 500m of seven turbines.

The council’s 11-point request also sought details on which turbines would exceed the noise levels in the Department of the Environment’s wind energy guidelines, saying it had “concerns regarding the noise levels affecting a number of adjacent properties”.

The department had expressed concern that the proposed development “could significantly damage or destroy” the habitats of freshwater pearl mussel, Atlantic salmon and otter, all of which are listed species for protection under the EU habitats directive.

In its further information request, the council sought an “appropriate assessment” of the potential impact of the turbines on the site’s conservation objectives, as well as more firm proposals to avoid siltation and water pollution of the Owenea and other rivers.

Letterkenny planning consultants Harley Newman, acting for Mr Molloy, said they were “conscious of the legal time limit of six months within which we must respond” and would revert to the planners following discussions between their client’s consultant ecologist and the department.

In total, 63 objections have been made against the proposed development, mainly on the grounds of its scale, visual impact, noise and other risks.

There are also fears that it could set a precedent for four or five other wind farms in various stages of planning for the area.

Irish Times

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School plans own windfarm

IT could be the way ahead for schools of the future – providing their own power from a windfarm.

Cork County VEC and Macquarie Partnerships for Ireland, have submitted plans for two 20-metre high wind turbines which will supply power for a new multi-million euro primary and secondary school in Bantry.

Noel O’Connor, chairman of Cork County VEC, said the development was the first of its type in the county. He said he hoped it would become a blueprint for all new schools.

"Over the years the VEC have been discussing using green energy as much as possible," Mr O’Connor said.

He said the two wind turbines should be able to make the schools self-sufficient in energy.

"We may even be able to reach a point where such small windfarms will generate excess electricity which they will be able to sell onto the national grid."

Construction is expected to begin in the spring for the schools which will accommodate more than 900 pupils.

Bantry Community College will facilitate 700 students arising from the amalgamation of St Goban’s College and Árdscoil Phobal Bheanntraí, while Gaelscoil Bheanntraí – a new eight-classroom primary school for 228 pupils – will be built on the site.

The VEC is also encouraging all schools to harvest rainwater in barrels.

Irish Examiner

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Proposed wind farm at Templetuohy

Bord na Móna has embarked upon a strategy of diversification beyond its traditional peat-based businesses.

As part of this diversification, it intends to develop a portfolio of electricity generating plants - including wind farms, flexible gas fired generation and peaking units. In line with this, Bord na Móna has selected some of its existing cutaway peatlands near Templetuohy for the development of a new wind farm. The proposed site, known as Templetuohy bog, is located in parts of Counties Kilkenny, Laois and Tipperary between Templetuohy and Johnstown.

The company has been involved in peat production operations at the site since the 1950s and parts of the bog are still in active peat production. Those areas of the site that are still in active peat production will not be affected by the development of the wind farm and peat production will continue as normal.

The proposed development will be known as Bruckana Wind Farm after one of the townlands within the site where some of the turbines will be located. It will have a generating capacity of approximately 40MW and will comprise of 16 wind turbines, access trackways, crane hard-standings, underground cables between the turbines, a 38kV electricity substation and a 38kV overhead line to Lisheen substation.

When operational, it will improve the geographical distribution of wind energy facilities nationally and, hence, contribute to a more balanced input of wind energy to the grid in support of the Government’s 40% target for electricity from renewable energy sources.

This will help to ensure that by 2020 40% of electricity generated in the state will come from renewable sources.

An application for connection of the wind farm to the national grid has been made to EirGrid. It is included in the Gate 3 list of projects to be processed for connection and it is scheduled to get an offer for connection to the system towards the end of 2010. Planning applications are currently being prepared for the project and will be submitted to Kilkenny, Laois and Tipperary North Riding Local Authorities.

As part of the planning process, an environmental impact study (EIS) is being carried out into the potential impacts of the proposed development on the local environment. A public information session was held in Templetuohy on 9th December.

It is expected that the construction of the new wind farm will take place over an 18-month period, with up to 25 workers employed on the project at peak. Once in operation, the farm will support a small number of operation and maintenance jobs.

When operational, the farm will generate enough electricity to supply the needs of approximately 20,000 homes with green electricity and it will prevent the emission every year of 55,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases. In doing so, it will help to combat climate change and contribute to the country achieving its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets as well as contributing to the achievement of the EU’s mandatory renewable energy target set for Ireland.

Bord na Móna expects to submit the planning application for the project in early 2010.

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Concern over long delays faced by wind companies

WIND energy is saving up to €280,000 a day in fuel production – yet some wind companies are facing waits of up to 10 years before they can get connection to the national grid.

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) has expressed concern at its autumn conference that these delays will undermine the long-term development of the sector unless tackled immediately and could culminate in paralysis in the run-up to the 2020 deadline, before which this country wants to have 40% of its energy needs from renewable resources.

Research by the IWEA carried out in July showed that wind energy made savings on fuel production costs of €212,000 – €280,000 per day. They also project that over the next 10 years, Ireland’s wind capacity should grow from 1,085 MW to approximately 6,250 MW; creating 10,700 jobs.

"This clearly demonstrates the real benefits that wind generation can deliver in reducing the cost of generating electricity.

"However, there is a real risk of a ‘boom and bust’ cycle in the sector due to delays in getting on the grid. For example, if as a wind energy producer, you applied for connection to the electricity grid in 2004, you could be waiting up to five years to get an offer of connection and then it could be another four or five years before that connection is physically completed," IWEA chief executive Michael Walsh said.

"The capital investments required are large and infrastructure delay often lags behind market demand here. There is also an issue with the Irish policy framework constantly changing."

A number of wind producers’ planning permission has run out by the time they get the offer of connection to the grid, Dr Walsh said, and they are being forced to apply for permission for a second time.

"It shouldn’t take that long ... We are having problems processing applications but another big problem is the difficulties that Eirgrid are having in getting their high capacity transmission lines built."

A spokeswoman for Eirgrid said Ireland needs 1,150km of new electricity circuits and the upgrading of a further 2,300 km – if we are to meet our 2020 targets. The spokeswoman said this was "a massive task" but that they were on target to achieve it.

The IWEA said there is "a lot of activity in the sector this year and a lot more planned for next year".

"Our fear is that if the delays lead to stagnation that a lot of the expertise that has been grown here will move elsewhere and we will end up hire companies from abroad in the long term".

Irish Examiner

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Kerry locals in spat with wind farm firm over bog slide clean-up

A WIND turbine company is being sued by a farming community in Kerry one year after a bog slide – which has still not been cleared – blocked access to their land.

Residents of Lyrecrom­pane in the Stack mountains have insisted that the wind farm – currently being developed by Tralee-based Tra Investments – is to blame for last August's bog slide. Locals say it has led to a significant loss of local earnings.

Legal proceedings are under way, with assessors set to estimate the level of loss caused to local livelihoods.

Residents say Kerry county council has not cleared all of the bog debris or kept in contact with them.

"Nobody has come near us during the last 12 months. Nobody has made any contact," said one local who asked not to be named in light of pending litigation.

"They would definitely be out of pocket because people can't go to get cut turf and some of them have land leased but they can't go in."

Kerry County Council says it reopened local roads six days after the event and had received correspondence from just one landowner outside the state which it advised should seek independent legal advice.

However, sources have said that landowners have already been compensated through insurance and that relations with the majority of the community were "excellent".

Sunday Tribune

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Wind farms generate record power output

A record was set for the amount of energy generated by Ireland’s wind farms as the percentage of power from wind hit almost 40% during the weekend of 2nd August.

Figures released by EirGrid show that high levels of wind power were recorded on Friday and Saturday, with the output of Ireland’s wind farms peaking at 999MW on Friday (31 July). This was enough to supply over 650,000 homes.

At times over the weekend the amount of power coming from wind farms met 39% of national demand. The figures were recorded at the EirGrid National Control Centre.

Ireland now has over 1,085 Megawatts of installed wind capacity. EirGrid will be upgrading the national grid shortly, which will increase the capacity of the transmission system and enable further large increases in renewable energy.

The company is also developing an interconnector to Britain which will mean that Ireland could become a significant exporter of renewable energy.

"The progress that has been made in connecting wind energy is crucial in meeting national targets for renewable energy, reducing Ireland’s CO2 emissions and reducing our dependency on imported fossil fuels" - an EirGrid spokesman said.

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) said Ireland can be a world leader in wind energy which would be worth up to €14 billion to the economy.

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€14bn wind energy potential ‘waiting to be tapped’

WIND energy use is growing but the potential for thousands of jobs and €14 billion investment in the sector has still not been tapped, it was claimed.

Figures released yesterday from EirGrid – the state-owned electricity transmission operator – show that in recent months wind power has accounted for up to 40% of all energy on the system and wind energy connected to the power system has increased by more than 25% in the past year.

The figures also show the amount of wind energy connected to the national grid has reached 1,077 megawatts and wind farms in Ireland now produce enough energy to supply approximately 700,000 homes around the country.

Wind power dwarfs hydro and landfill gas generation in terms of energy provided. A new report by Deloitte, also published yesterday, shows huge potential for more jobs in the sector.

The Deloitte report, Jobs and Investment in Irish Wind Energy, states that construction of wind energy projects on the island of Ireland will involve approximately €14.75bn of investment, €5.1bn of which could be retained in the Irish economy.

That in turn can support in excess of 10,500 jobs through direct and indirect investment up to 2020.

The report was launched to mark Global Wind Energy Day and was commissioned by the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA).

The IWEA’s chief executive, Dr Michael Walsh, said new plans will be put in place to boost the sector, but warned of areas of concern, such as the likelihood that many projects will not be delivered if developers cannot be given guarantees that the grid will be delivered to their project on time.

Ireland has set itself a progressive target of delivering 40% of energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

However, Dr Walsh said: "While Ireland has established a number of initiatives to stimulate growth in the sector, grid availability, a stable financial framework and a shortage of experienced personnel and lack of awareness of opportunities in the sector are stunting the sector’s growth.

"All of these issues need to be tackled, by industry and policy makers, to ensure the sector can continue to flourish in order to meet our targets and assist the Government with its recovery plan."

Irish Examiner

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Call to speed up installation of Irish wind power projects

Ireland is facing a 'serious bottleneck' in meeting ambitious renewable energy targets for 2020 and needs to accelerate the delivery of wind power projects, according to the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA).

The association’s chief executive, Dr Michael Walsh cited the latest European figures showing that Ireland was still “very much at the back of the class” in terms of wind installations.

The figures show that just 0.7 per cent of wind capacity in all 27 EU member states was installed here in 2007 - well short of what was needed to meet the target of 40 per cent for renewables by 2020.

“We need to start accelerating project delivery, so we do not end up in a bottleneck as we approach 2020 and miss out on a significant employment opportunity for the Irish economy” - Dr Walsh said.

Noting that Ireland, along with Scotland, has the best wind resources in Europe, he said that with wind energy’s market share of only 1.4 per cent here we are not delivering on anything like our potential.

Given the comparative levels of wind resource, Ireland should be significantly outperforming continental Europe, where wind had an average 6.6 per cent market share (excluding newer EU states).

Dr Walsh said the lack of alternative natural energy resources in Ireland also meant that we were highly sensitive to imported energy prices and this should be an added impetus to expand wind.

At the current rate of installation, he said, it was likely that we would have to bring in companies from abroad to carry out work that Irish companies should have been able to do cheaper and sooner.

The IWEA intends to mark Global Wind Day on June 15th by outlining a road map that would set out a future for the industry and steady increases in activity per year over the next decade.

Seven wind farms will be open to the public on the day and Dr Walsh urged members of the public to visit these.

The Irish Times

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Wind farm windfall for Clare families

THIRTY FARM families who will have a majority stakeholding in a company seeking planning permission for a €200 million wind farm in west Clare will share just under €1 million each year in earnings from the project when it becomes operational.

West Clare Renewable Energy has announced plans for 30,410ft 3MW turbines on 3,000 acres of upland on the 1,280ft Mount Callan owned by the farmers overlooking Clare’s west coast.

The group’s chairman, Pádraig Howard, said yesterday that giving the farm families a majority stake in the company “will have a transformational effect on rural Ireland”.

He said each family would receive €30,000 per annum when the project became operational.

“This will be an iconic project,” he said, adding that he hoped construction on the project would get under way in 2011 to provide 250- 300 jobs during the three-year construction phase.

Mr Howard said that when operational, the project would sustain 50 to 100 jobs. He was including in his calculations the €30,000 to be earned by each of the 30 families as 30 jobs.

The project is expected to deliver a community fund for the four parishes in the area that will amount to between €60,000 and €80,000 in the early phase of the project “and a multiple of that after five to 10 years when the debt is paid down on the scheme”.

Mr Howard noted that the proposed wind farm would be only 1km from a grid connection.

The Clare businessman said that it would generate sufficient energy to power all homes and businesses in Co Clare and meet the Limerick-Clare Energy Agency’s 2010 targets for emissions reductions and renewable energy production.

He expected a formal planning application to be lodged in late summer.

“We have been carrying out work connected to the environmental impact statement for almost three years and it has shown that the area doesn’t have the deep bog that other upland areas have so that isn’t an issue in this case.

“Farm families are struggling and many face a very bleak future,” Mr Howard said. “Food prices are not what they were 20 years ago and farmers depend on subsidies and direct farm payments. This project will provide farmers with a new source of income and allow farm families to remain on the land.”

He added that this project would “empower local communities and empower local families”.

John Talty, one of the 30 landowners concerned, said yesterday: “We can’t wait for someone else to do this for us. We are trying to form an industry in west Clare that will keep the locals in west Clare . . . We want to get jobs back in west Clare.”

Irish Times

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New wind turbine park opens in Dublin

A NEW public park which will generate its own electricity from wind turbines has been opened in north Dublin.

The 52 acre Fr Collins Park in Donaghmede has been described as Ireland’s first sustainable park. It will derive all its power from five wind turbines which have been installed at a cost of €1.2 million.

The five turbines will generate about 250KW an hour when the wind is blowing or the equivalent of €400,000 worth of electricity a year at full price, though the actual figure will be less than that.

It is hoped, however, that the turbines will pay for themselves by generating enough power to floodlight Fr Collins Park while also powering the five dressing rooms, maintenance buildings and its water features.

It was opened yesterday by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne and the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin.

The archbishop noted that the community had named the park after local parish priest Fr Joe Collins, who died 30 years ago.

“That sort of witness has been relativised in the eyes of many,” he said in reference to the scandals involving the clergy in recent weeks.

Dublin City Council will monitor the wind turbines over the next year to see if they can meet targets. It is seeking to power as many of its services as possible in the future through renewable sources, a key part of its new energy strategy.

One proposal being actively looked at is to use wind turbines to power the city’s water services in Blessington. Another is to provide energy for the greenhouses in St Anne’s Park using wind turbines.

Gerry Wardell, the director of the City of Dublin Energy Management Agency, said the five wind turbines would have “huge community and educational value” locally.

“The concept of wind turbines in cities is quite new. This is one of the leading examples anywhere,” Mr Wardell said.

The park will contain a 1.5 kilometre cycling track and an amphitheatre for outdoor theatre and concerts.

The Fr Collins Park project began in September 2007 and was designed by the Argentinian architects Abelleyro and Romero. They delivered the €20 million project on time and within budget.

Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Energy expert calls for national grid restrictions to be lifted

A pioneer of wind energy in Ireland has called on the energy regulator to waive current restrictions on selling power to the national grid.

He claims that this will generate industry savings of €1million, save jobs and boost competitiveness.

Lawrence Staudt heads the centre for renewable energy at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DIT).

He said that, under the current system, any energy producer that delivered more than 500kWcould have to wait for up to five years before being cleared by the Commission for Energy Regulation’s (CER) ‘group processing approach’, which permits sale of excess electricity to the grid.

This, according to Staudt, impedes a ‘‘golden opportunity’’ for companies who build their own turbines to reduce their costs by up to €1million within five years. Staudt has just been appointed to the board of Irish company Wind Energy Direct (WED), which will be the first to install and operate turbines on company sites in Ireland.

‘‘This will deliver a significant reduction in energy costs, at a time when our nation’s competitiveness is being eroded year-on-year,” he said.

Sunday Business Post

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Planning denied for wind turbines

An Bord Pleanala has refused planning permission for a cluster of three wind turbines on the northern edge of the Nephin Beg range of mountains in Co Mayo for scenic reasons.

According to the planning authority, the visual impact of the turbines would be "dramatic".

Irish Independent

www.buckplanning.ie

Airtricity boss calls for action on wind farms

THE GOVERNMENT needs to take decisive action to prevent Ireland from being left behind Britain and Germany in the race to develop offshore wind farms, according to a leading industry figure.

Arno Verbeek, Airtricity's general manager for Irish offshore power, said there was a real risk that investment would end up concentrated on projects abroad, which have moved faster than Ireland.

His comments come as KPMG corporate finance director Ger Butler revealed that banks were keen to invest in Irish offshore projects but couldn't because they can't get access to the national grid.

"They are seen as very attractive because they have a steady cash flow and they are predictable," said Butler. "If you look at the five projects earmarked for Ireland, grid access is a major issue that needs to be addressed. In order to invest, you need all the pieces to slot together including grid access, planning and turbine supply," he said.

Butler said these issues needed to be addressed quickly, particularly as the five projects needed to put down deposits as soon as possible to secure their turbines if they were to meet their target dates of 2012.

Verbeek said his company cannot secure turbines for its Irish offshore projects because of the lack of grid connections.

"Before we start spending large sums of money, we need to have a connection offer," he said.

The Department of Energy said issues associated with connecting offshore wind to the grid these "can be resolved in advance of the 2012 timeline".

Sunday Tribune

www.buckplanning.ie