Proposed Kildare grid connection route for Ireland's largest wind farm published - Ireland News Beep

Bord Na Mona has published the underground cable route for what would be Ireland’s largest on shore wind farm.

The Kildare project, if approved, would produce up to 329MW of electricity, enough to power 200,000 homes for a year.

The proposed Ballydermot Windfarm project straddles bogland between Rathangan, Allenwood, Derrinturn, Edenderry and Clonbullogue. There are 639 homes within 2,000m of the turbines, including 45 houses within 1,000m. For further information, log on to www.ballydermotwindfarm.ie

The latest plans provide for 20 200m high turbines and 27 220m turbines.

The connections route which was published last month details how an on-site substation within the wind farm site, will be linked with an underground grid connection to an off-site 220kV electricity substationoff-site. The grid connection would comprise approximately 12.3 kilometres of underground cabling and would be installed mainly within the public road corridor where possible to minimise impacts on private land.

Should the project get the go ahead and progress to construction, traffic management measures will be implemented in
consultation with the relevant local authorities to minimise disruption.

Based on current design work, the proposed underground route for the grid connection will exit the proposed on-site
substation located on Lodge Bog via an internal access track onto the R414. It will continue along existing public roads, crossing beneath the Grand Canal west of Shee Bridge. From here, it will continue along the R403, through Allenwood, and turning south along the L6002 at Prosperous to connect to the proposed off-site substation.

From this point, it will provide connection to the national grid via a loopin connection to the existing Maynooth-Dunstown
220kV overhead line.

Plans for the development have yet to be lodged with An Comisúin Pleanála.

The company also published an amenity plan in 2021 and circulated it to households in the vicinity of the proposed project. The key amenities identified include: a strategic route network that provides access links to surrounding settlements and sites of interest, a network of internal paths and cycleways that provide looped routes and a dedicated equestrian trail, a natural play park, trail infrastructure such as benches and shelters, waymarker posts and orientation information boards and key amenity access infrastructure such as car parks and toilets.

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Proposed Kildare grid connection route for Ireland’s largest wind farm published

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