Proposal lodged for construction of solar farm in Kildare village
The solar farm poses economic opportunities for the local community in Kildare
Kildare County Council has received a planning application for the construction of a solar farm in Kilglass.
Cadamstown Solar Ltd submitted the application which seeks permission over a 10 year period for the the construction and completion of a solar PV energy development on the site in Kilglass which extends over 45.9 hectares.
The development would comprise of the construction of PV panels mounted on metal frames, transformer stations, perimeter fencing with CCTV cameras, electrical cabling and ducting, a GRP unit, a temporary construction compound and all other ancillary infrastructure and associated works.
Landscaping is also included in the planning application for the site which is currently being used for arable and pastoral farming.
If granted permission by the Council, the solar farm would be operational for 35 years and would have an export capacity to the national grid of around 35MW MEC. However, as noted in the Planning Statement, the exact details of the grid connection cannot be determined until full planning permission is received.
The construction of the solar farm would take an estimated 12 months to complete if permission was granted.
Kildare County Council has until 14 May to make their decision on the proposal.