BNRG TO SEEK PLANNING FOR 60MW SOLAR FARM IN SOUTH CLARE

Public Consultation and Information Programme commences

Solar Farm would generate sufficient renewable energy to power almost 11,700 homes and support a €1.5m community fund

Irish owned BNRG, a pioneer in clean renewable energy, today announces its intention to seek planning permission for a 60MW solar farm in South East Clare for its BNRG Ballycunneen PV [‘BNRG Ballycunneen’] project. The project would generate sufficient clean green energy to power almost 11,700 homes, contributing positively to Ireland’s green energy transition.

The proposed 95 hectares solar farm is located in a rural location to the north of the lower River Shannon between Shannon town to the west, Newmarket on Fergus to the north and Bunratty to the southeast.  The solar farm would straddle 4 parcels of land, averaging c. 25 hectares each, within the townlands of Clonmoney West, Ballycunneen, Drumline, Ardkyle and Firgrove.

Actual ground cover by the solar panels would equate to just over one quarter of the land being used, facilitating continued farm use as grazing for sheep on the remainder of the 95 hectares.

BNRG Ballycunneen is today announcing the commencement of a Public Consultation and Information Programme that will take place over the coming months. Its objective is to inform the local community about the project and to obtain feedback to ensure a best-in-class project.

A public information and consultation clinic will take place at Newmarket-on-Fergus GAA Club in Carrownakilly on Wednesday, 20 August 2025 between 4.00 pm–7.30 pm. This clinic will provide an opportunity to meet experts from BNRG and specialist engineering and environmental consultants Tobin Consulting Engineers. A website with project information is also available at www.bnrgballycunneen.com  alongside contact details for the project’s dedicated Community Liaison Officer.

Proximity to the national grid and access to lands that benefit from a discrete topography, with relatively little line-of-sight by local residences were key considerations in selecting the proposed locations. Hedgerows and buffer zones will be used for screening and biodiversity purposes and the low-lying solar panels will be set back from public roads, screened by new planting and fencing. Comprehensive archaeological and traffic assessments are currently underway.

As the project would connect into the national grid via the pre-existing 110kV Drumline substation, a much smaller 38kV on-site substation will be required which will be connected via underground cables.  Both the on-site substation and an associated Battery Energy Storage Energy System (BESS) would be centrally located in a discrete low-lying, self-contained field with no immediate road frontage and that is not overlooked by any local residences. 

The solar farm is expected to displace upwards of 17,800 tonnes of carbon emissions annually – relative to electricity generated from fossil fuels. The project promoters are placing significant focus on environmental matters to promote biodiversity, enhance hedgerows for screening and to protect watercourses, soils and geology.  On completion the solar farm will remain suitable for ongoing agricultural use, primarily as grazing land for sheep.

Subject to planning and participation in a Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction, BNRG would expect to establish a Community Benefit Fund in which locals would be invited to participate and to have their say in how the estimated €1.5 million community fund would be invested over time. This equates to just over €105,000 annually over a 15-year period.

Following a comprehensive public consultation and information programme and completion of a wide range of independent environmental and engineering assessments and reports, BNRG would expect to apply to Clare County Council for planning permission for BNRG Ballycunneen in September 2025. 

Subject to planning and procurement, construction on BNRG Ballycunneen is likely to take place from 2027, with scope for the project to be operational in 2028. 

Construction is expected to take place during the up to 9-month build, followed by a 3–6-month low impact commissioning phase. Local suppliers will be encouraged to tender.  Minimum disruption is anticipated as solar arrays would be located on private lands and installed using tried and tested techniques and using underground cabling to connect the sites with the EirGrid substation in Drumline.

At the end of the lifecycle of BNRG Ballycunneen the solar panels and their supports will be dismantled and recycled.