This article is from page 3 of the 2012-01-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
A NEWLY planned windfarm for Moneypoint will power an average of 8,500 homes every year and benefit the local economy during its construction stage.
That is according to a spokesperson for the ESB, who explained that the five turbines will also offset 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions once they are up and running.
ESB Wind Development Ltd has applied to Clare County Council to construct the windfarm, which will replace a previous application which is in place since 2002.
The 10-year-old planning permission would have seen the construction of nine turbines on the site of the West Clare generating station. The new application is for just five turbines, however, and each turbine will be larger and more technologically advanced than the original nine.
The new application seeks permission “for a 10-year planning permission for a wind farm project at Moneypoint Generating Station” in Killimer.
The development will consist of five wind turbines, each having a rated electrical output of approximately 3,000 kilowatts, modification of the existing high-voltage electrical transformer station to house additional electrical equipment and an additional single-storey control building.
Two anemometer masts and all associated site works above and below ground are also sought.
According to the application, each wind turbine will have an overall maximum dimension of 152 metres, comprising a tower of 95 to 100 metres high, and a diameter of about four metres at the base, to which three blades of 52 to 55 metres length will be attached.
The ESB has admitted, however, that the project is still in its infancy.
The construction has not yet gone to tender and the company has not committed to any expenditure as yet.
The ESB spokesperson said, “Any project in Moneypoint in the past, and there have been a number, have had a positive impact in terms of jobs and spend.”
It is estimated that the construction of the windfarm will take between six months and a year.
A decision on the application is due on March 13, 2012.