SSE Renewables and Coillte are to break ground on the 30MW Lenalea wind farm in the north-west of Ireland next year after securing a support contract in the country’s first clean power auction.
The joint venture is to install seven turbines with tips of 135 metres in County Donegal that will come online in 2022-23 after filing a winning project bid in RESS-1.
Lenalea will generate enough low carbon renewable energy to power 20,000 homes annually and offset 24,500 tonnes of carbon per annum, the developers said.
SSE development director Barry Kilcline said: “We’re delighted the Lenalea wind farm project has been provisionally successful in this auction round and that it has secured a route to market which will enable the onshore project to contribute to Ireland’s 2030 renewable energy targets.”
He added: “Working with our joint venture partners at Coillte Renewable Energy we will continue to progress the project with a view to commencing construction in 2021. Delivery of this latest wind farm development in Ireland further advances the strategic objective of SSE Renewables to drive the transition to a zero-carbon future through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.”
Lenalea was one of 19 onshore wind projects in Ireland that won contracts for an average of 15 years of new renewable energy generation under RESS-1.