Neoen has launched the construction of the 79MWp Ballinknockane solar farm in Ireland.
The developer has provided notice to proceed to Omexom and TLI Group under EPC turnkey contracts, respectively for the solar plant and the 110kV onsite substation.
Ballinknockane solar farm was successful in Ireland’s RESS 2 auction in 2022 and will benefit from a CfD mechanism valid until 2040.
With an initially planned capacity of approximately 61MWp, the solar farm has been upgraded to 79MWp.
The project will be Neoen’s first transmission-connected project in Ireland, and the first utility-scale solar farm in County Limerick.
Ballinknockane is scheduled to be energized in mid-2026 and commissioned in the first half of 2027.
The solar farm will generate enough energy to power 16,000 homes, preventing the emission of around 21,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Neoen will implement a Community Benefit Fund for local community initiatives, totalling over €1.8m over the asset’s lifetime.
The solar farm will also incorporate agrisolar in the form of sheep-grazing.
Finally, several measures will be implemented to improve the biodiversity on site: planting of tree & hedge, bird boxes, bug hotels and bio-diversity meadows.
Adding Ballinknockane, Neoen’s capacity in operation or under construction in Ireland now reaches 190MW, including three solar farms (totalling 58MWp) and eight wind farms (totalling 53MW) in operation.
The construction start of Ballinknockane solar farm comes a few weeks after Neoen was one of the main winners of the Republic of Ireland’s RESS 4 auction with two new solar projects totalling 170MWp.
Cyril Perrin, managing director of Neoen Ireland, said: “I would like to thank the teams of Neoen, Eirgrid, Limerick City & County Council, Omexom and TLI Group for their hard work and dedication, as well as our gratitude to host landowners for their partnership and trust.
“We are proud to take part in the economical and sustainable ambitions of the Shannon Estuary region. Ballinknockane solar farm is a great lever to diversify the energy mix in Limerick and contribute to Ireland’s 2030 climate targets.”
Xavier Barbaro, Neoen’s chairman and chief executive, added: “The launch of the construction of the Ballinknockane solar farm combined with the success of our projects at the RESS 4 auction is an opportunity for Neoen to restate and renew its ambition for Ireland.
“We opened our Irish office five years ago and our efforts are bearing fruit.
“Thanks to the commitment of our teams and the quality of the projects we are developing in solar, wind and storage, we are accelerating the energy transition in Ireland and in the rest of the world.”