RES has submitted a planning application for its 50MW Carnbuck Wind Farm project in Northern Ireland.
The Carnbuck project, located in the townlands of Carnbuck, Magheraboy and Moneyneagh, near Corkey, Antrim, is adjacent to the existing Gruig Wind Farm.
The proposed scheme comprises 12 turbines in addition to an energy storage plant which will help maximise the generation capability and efficiency of the site.
David McVeigh, Development Project Manager at RES, said: “The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions is ever pressing and wind, as a free and inexhaustible resource, has a crucial role to play.
“Recent analysis has shown that Northern Ireland consumers saved £500m because wind farms produced 42% of our electricity last year.”
Following public consultations held in March 2022 and January 2023, RES has reviewed the feedback received from the community and key consultees, together with the findings from the environmental and technical studies, in order to inform the detailed design of the proposed wind farm.
The site layout has been designed to minimise impacts, including a shared site entrance and some infrastructure with the existing Gruig Wind Farm, which will reduce the environmental footprint and traffic movements associated with wind farm construction.
If approved, not only will Carnbuck Wind Farm will deliver £3.3m potential inward investment into the local area in the form of jobs, employment, and use of local services during the development, construction and first year of operation alone.
It’s estimated that the development would involve a capital spend of around £65m, of which nearly £30m will be realised within the Northern Ireland economy.
In Northern Ireland, RES has developed and/or constructed 22 onshore wind farms equating to nearly 380MW and operates over 150MW of wind projects.