How the Viewing Stand will look (Gerry Gleeson and Sons Dream Homes Ltd)
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05 Sept 2025
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05 Sept 2025
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Explaining its decision to approve the development, the appeals board said that it determined that the proposed BESS 'would not adversely affect the bloodstock industry.' Pic: Pexels, Pixabay
The development of a new 212-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) plant costing €140 million will now go ahead, despite multiple objections.
The BESS, which was originally proposed by Strategic Power Projects Limited, will be constructed at Dunnstown near Two Mile House, just off the Naas to Kilcullen Road.
The decision, which was made by An Bord Pleanála, overturns a decision made by Kildare County Council (KCC) last year to refuse planning permission for the lithium ion storage facility, which was followed by an appeal from Strategic Power Projects Ltd.
KCC said at the time that the facility, which residents claimed was the largest of its kind in Ireland, would be reliant on the availability of additional supporting infrastructure to transport the stored energy from the site.
The Council also expressed concerns about fire safety aspects including sufficient access routes to enable fire fighting, inadequate separation distances between the storage units and a lack of water supply provision.
A third reason provided for refusing the application was insufficient detail about wastewater provision on the site.
Local residents also said that they feared fires, citing examples of similar incidents in China, the US and Australia.
Explaining its decision to approve the development, the appeals board said that it determined that the proposed BESS 'would not adversely affect the bloodstock industry.'
It will be composed of 76 battery units, to be contained in 76 separate shipping container units.
When asked by the Leinster Leader for a statement regarding the announcement, An Bord Pleanála declined to comment.
According to its website, Strategic Power Projects Limited is an all-Ireland renewable energy company established to support government plans to reduce emissions through the development of large scale Solar PV, Battery Energy Storage Systems.
It has outlets across a number of areas in Ireland, including in Antrim, Louth, Offaly and Kildare.
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