EDF Renewables Ireland has announced that TDC Community Solar Park in County Roscommon has successfully secured a contract as part of the Government’s RESS 4 auction. Once constructed, the 75-Megawatt project extending over 130 hectares will generate enough power to supply c.20,000 homes across Ireland.
The project, which will be EDF Renewables Ireland’s largest solar farm project in Ireland to date, is located in the townlands of Taduff, Drum, Curraghaleen, Taduff East, Creagh and Cuilglass in the south of the county, near Athlone. This auction result enables TDC Community Solar Farm to receive a fixed price for the low-carbon electricity it generates over a 15-year period.
EDF Renewables Ireland Senior Business Development Manager JP Wallace said building projects like this were crucial if Ireland was to meet its ambitious solar energy targets.
“Ireland has made terrific progress regarding the roll-out of solar installations over the last few years”, he explained. “And we were proud to play an important role in energising some of the country’s first grid-scale solar farms last year.
“Building projects of the scale of TDC Community Solar Park will be essential to allow Ireland to meet its target of 8GW of solar by the end of the decade. We’re looking forward to starting construction on the project as soon as possible”.
While the original planning permission had been for a 45MW project over 70 hectares, in order to maximise the site’s potential, EDF Renewables Ireland applied for and were granted planning permission for an 75MW project over 130 hectares along with a battery energy storage system.
Mr Wallace said EDF Renewables Ireland is committed to being a good neighbour and to ensuring that local communities benefit from renewable energy projects.
“A Community Benefit Fund, which will be independently administered, will be established once the project is constructed. This will provide funding for community-based initiatives and activities over the next fifteen years”.
The company has also been engaging with An Bord Pleanála regarding a 110kV substation that will be required as part of the solar farm. It is preparing a planning application for this substation, which it hopes to submit in the coming weeks.
