A company has lodged an appeal against a decision by Donegal County Council to refuse planning permission for a large battery storage plant on the edge of Letterkenny.
Renewable Energy Solutions Ltd (RES Ltd) has taken an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála over the proposed facility at N13 Listillion, Letterkenny.
At the end of May, Donegal County Council refused permission for the electrical storage facility – which would consist of a battery energy storage system of around 50 shipping containers on a 15.7-acre site just off the main Letterkenny-Stranorlar road.
The application, originally lodged by Peter Henry on behalf of Renewable Energy Systems Ltd, also included plans for an upgrade of the dangerous Glenmaquinn/Convoy junction.
In refusing the application, Donegal County Council said they had concerns over road safety along the busy N13. The proposed development, they added, is located within and directly affects lands associated with the TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project.
“Donegal National Roads Office has advised that the existing N13 access relied upon by the proposed development is to be permanently closed as part of the TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project and that the application has not adequately addressed future access arrangements following delivery of that project,” planners stated.
According to developers, the proposed facility will help support the flexible operation of Eirgrid and ‘decarbonisation of electricity supply by balancing electricity supply and demand.’
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, working across 24 countries and active in wind, solar, energy storage, biomass, hydro, green hydrogen, transmission and distribution.
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In the original part of the process, there were numerous objections from local residents and landowners.
One submission, from the Listillion Community Group, said they represented the ‘coordinated concerns’ of directly affected residents and adjacent landowners.
“The concerns raised in this submission are shared by multiple households directly affected by the proposed development and reflect widespread and substantive community opposition,” they said. “The proposal represents a high-risk industrial energy development in an inappropriate and sensitive rural location.”
The proposed facility comprises one electrical compound, electrical transformer/inverter station modules, battery storage enclosures (bses), power conversion systems on concrete support structures, attenuation ponds, indicative 110kv buried import/export cable and indicative 110kv substation to facilitate connection to the existing 110kv Letterkenny substation.
The application also provided for upgraded access tracks, crane hardstanding, associated electrical ducting, palisade security fencing and cctv system, landscaping works, lighting poles and all other ancillary and miscellaneous site works including clearance.
An appeal has been submitted on behalf of the company to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, working across 24 countries and active in wind, solar, energy storage, biomass, hydro, green hydrogen, transmission and distribution.