SSE, Ireland’s largest provider of wind power, has begun constructing a new, nine-turbine wind farm at Leanamore in north Co. Kerry.
Leanamore Wind Farm will have a permitted export capacity of 18MW, enough to power 9,500 homes, while offsetting around 24,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions every year*.
The turbines are scheduled to arrive on site in August this year, with the wind farm due to be fully operational by January 2018. The wind farm will then be operated directly by SSE’s own locally-based team.
A year after Leanamore Wind Farm becomes operational, SSE will open a Community Fund programme, making annual contributions to local groups within a 20km radius of the wind farm, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability projects.
When combined with SSE’s four operational wind farms in West Limerick (Tournafulla, Rathcahill, Dromada and Athea) and its three operational wind farms in Cork (Coomacheo, Curragh and Coomatallin), Leanamore will bring the company’s total renewable export capacity in the south west of Ireland to over 180MW.
Seamus Lynch, SSE’s Project Manager for Leanamore, commented:
“We’re delighted to be getting the project underway. With the wind farm due to be fully operational this time next year, there is a lot of work to do in the next six months in advance of turbine delivery.
“As with all SSE projects, we’re working to deliver Leanamore to the highest standards, with safety as our number one focus at all times. We’re looking forward to building a strong and lasting relationship with the local community, and we’re committed to delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for the area. We will also engage with local residents throughout the project to keep any disruption to a minimum.”
Further information on Leanamore Wind Farm will be available at ireland.sse.com/leanamore as the project progresses.
*Homes powered calculations based on typical annual consumptions in All-Island Single Electricity Market (as of 1 March 2017) and 1year average recorded capacity factor of SSE wind farms operating on the island, April 2015 - March 2016. Historic figures quoted are for guideline purposes only – actual future performance may vary.