Wind farm closure is ‘madness’ during energy crisis
Galway county councillors have labelled it ‘madness’ to close the controversial Derrybrien Wind Farm in South Galway – at a time when energy supply is uncertain and costs are soaring due to the Russian war on Ukraine.
The 70-turbine wind farm in the Sliabh Aughty mountains, constructed in 2003, was effectively operating without planning permission.
A landslide occurred during construction, pushing thousands of cubic metres of peat down the mountain.
In 2019, the EU’s Court of Justice found Ireland was in breach of environmental safeguards regarding the construction of the project by an ESB subsidiary company.
A €5m fine was imposed by the EU in 2020, as well as daily fines of €15,000 since. The total has now reached more than €18m.
An Bórd Pleanála recently ruled that the company could not retrospectively secure planning permission to retain the development. The ESB had two choices; appeal that decision through the courts or decommission the infrastructure.
It emerged at this week’s Galway County Council meeting that the company must apply for planning permission to dismantle it.
“They don’t have planning permission to dismantle it,” said Councillor Alastair McKinstry (Green), who said it was located in a ‘very sensitive’ area and machines cannot be brought in without planning permission.
Councillor Geraldine Donohue (Ind) said the energy crisis now was unprecedented. “We’ve never been here before. All other countries are putting them [wind farms] up, and we’re taking this down? And the ESB has to get planning permission to take it down!”
Cllr Donohue said that the foundations of the wind farm had now bedded in and Derrybrien had a role to play in providing renewable energy to the national grid.
Cathaoirleach Peter Keaveney (FG) said it was capable of generating energy to power 50,000 homes. He said there was six years left on the lease and suggested it should be allowed to operate until such time as offshore wind energy has been developed off the coast.
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