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A company linked to Coolmore Stud has lodged a planning application for the development of a 247ac solar farm at Killough Castle, near Thurles, Co Tipperary.
This comes following a three-month-long consultation process with landowners and the local community.
The planning application was made by Marmoris Limited, trading as Killough Solar, and the company is seeking 10-year permission for the development of a solar farm on a site of 549ac.
Development on the site will include 184ac of solar panels, 23 inverter/transformer stations, underground power and communication cables and ducts, plus boundary security fencing.
The application states that the solar farm will be operational for 40 years and will also include biodiversity enhancement and bat/bird and archaeological buffers within it.
Several years
Subject to planning, tender, construction and commercial offtake agreements, it is likely to be several years before the solar farm becomes operational.
The proposed development, which is being carried out in conjunction with Temporis Investment Management, specialists in the renewable energy and clean technology sector, aims to produce energy equivalent to the annual needs of 25,000 homes.
It is understood that Coolmore paid in the region of €6.5m for Killough Castle and the 527ac accompanying it last year.
If approved, the project is expected to support between 80 and 100 jobs during the 18-month construction phase, with priority, where practicable, being assigned to local suppliers.
A decision on the application from Tipperary County Council is due on 27 February 2025.
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