The Derrybrien Wind Farm in Co Galway is to be decommissioned, the ESB has announced.

The decision to decommission the farm follows on from the decision by An Bord Pleanála on 4 February not to grant substitute consent for the project.

“ESB consequently paused operation of Derrybrien,” a spokesperson for the ESB told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Following careful consideration, ESB has now decided to decommission the wind farm. ESB will now prepare for the decommissioning of the 70 wind turbines in accordance with planning laws and regulations.”

Fines

The wind farm has been accruing daily fines on the Irish State, amounting to over €17m to date, over its handling of the project.

In 2003, during its construction, a landslide caused environmental damage to farmland, forestry, fish life and watercourses.

An EU investigation had found that the farm had been built without the proper environmental assessment.

Gort Windfarms Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ESB, owns the wind farm. It had applied for substitute consent over a year ago, which An Bord Pleanála refused.