Major €500m midland solar farm plans revealed

Bord na Mona and the ESB have announced plans to invest €500 million in four giant solar farms, one of which is expected to be developed on a cutaway bog in Offaly.

The plans were announced by Minister for Communications, Enviroment and Climate Change, Denis Naughten, at a press briefing at the Bord na Mona site in Derrygreenagh.

The project is expected to generate sufficient electricity to power 150,000 homes, and a planning application for the Offaly solar farm is expected to be submitted to the local authority by the end of the year. 

The announcement marks the first foray by Bord na Mona into the solar energy market, and the Blackwater site has been mentioned as one of the possible locations for a solar farm in Offaly.

Commenting on the joint venture plans, former Bord na Mona employee, Cllr Eamonn Dooley, said he would have “concerns around the viability” of solar farms in view of the fact that there is no government subsidy for solar energy projects.

“While solar energy would undoubtedly be more acceptable than wind farms, I think we are looking at a timeframe of at least five years before we see any solar projects in Offaly.”