Home News World-leading energy producer seeks planning permission for new facility in Portarlington

World-leading energy producer seeks planning permission for new facility in Portarlington

Neoen Renewables Ireland Ltd have applied to Laois County Councill for planning permission at a site in Bracklone, Portarlington.

The permission is sought primarily for the development of 136 battery storage units and 17 Medium Voltage skid platforms.

The facility would store energy from the national grid and feed it back in to meet demand.

French-based parent company, Neoen, is one of the world’s leading independent producers of exclusively renewable energy.

Having invested around €100m in Ireland to date, Neoen owns eight wind farms and three solar farms already supplying the Irish grid.

They launched the first solar farm to be connected to Ireland’s electricity grid in Millvale, County Wicklow just over a year ago.

The company says is hopes to develop a pipeline of green energy projects worth €1bn in Ireland.

The project in Portarlington is also to take in a new site access and onsite access tracks; electrical and communications cabling; pole-mounted security cameras; and security fencing and security gates.

A temporary construction compound will be erected, and all associated and ancillary site development, landscaping and reinstatement works will take place over a total site area of close to 3.5 hectares.

The operational lifetime of the proposed development is 35 years.

A decision is due from Laois County Council by early September.

Neoen has recently been granted planning permission for solar farms in both Limerick and Wicklow, and has sought permission for a solar farm and battery storage facility in Westmeath.

A Neoen battery storage facility in Australia
Millvale solar farm in Co Wicklow

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