Green light in Cork for battery storage facility for solar farm

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

Planning permission has been granted for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) located between Carrigaline and Cork city that will connect by underground cable to a solar farm expected to power up to 16,000 homes.

The BESS facility with associated infrastructure, including a 1.6km underground cable grid connection to the Ballinrea Solar Farm, will be located around 3 km north-west of Carrigaline. Cork County Council granted planning permission subject to 18 conditions.

The 65-megawatt (MW) Ballinrea Solar Farm consists of two sites in the townlands of Ballinrea and Ballinvuskig with the project expected to be fully operational in late 2026. The applicant, Orsted Onshore Ireland Midco Limited, has promised a community benefit fund of over €100,000 per annum to be distributed to local organisations once the farm is operational.

Orsted recently agreed to sell its Irish headquartered European onshore business to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) for €1.44bn, including its onshore wind farms and solar farms in Ireland. The Danish renewable energy company’s Irish operations currently power more than 250,000 homes with renewable electricity.

Orsted is also the applicant behind a proposal to build a 323-hectare solar farm near Killeagh in East Cork. A planning application for the 250 MW project was recently turned down by Cork County Council after the application was deemed invalid. The site spans seven townlands and would be larger than any other solar farm currently constructed or in planning across the island.

“The application is not considered complete because information required to enable the Planning Authority to assess and determine this application has not been included in the submitted documentation,” a letter from the planning office to the applicant said.

Another BESS facility granted planning permission by Cork County Council is currently being appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála by locals concerned about pollution and fire risks. Renewable energy group Neoen received conditional permission for the energy storage facility in Curraduff, Newmarket last year. The planning appeals board has now requested further information be provided by the developer by May 5.

Local Councillor Trish Murphy said the Curraduff location is not suitable for a BESS facility. “I am all for renewable energy, but it is not the right place. There are adjoining houses to it. It is a very scary situation. Our concerns are the same as to what An Coimisiún Pleanála are looking for now which is kind of a positive,” she said.

“There is total unity against the battery storage facility. The guidelines need to be much tighter. There are a load of houses up that road. There is a big fear of the unknown. We will remain hopeful,” she added.