Council to shed light on large new solar farm development outside Kilkenny city
A decision on whether a large solar farm can be constructed on the outskirts of Kilkenny city will be made in the coming days.
Harmony Solar Kilkenny Limited has applied to Kilkenny County Council to build a solar farm on a 46-hectare site at Smithstown, which is located close to Junction 11 on the M9 motorway.
The developers are seeking to create a farm with 293,500m2 of solar photovoltaic panels on ground mounted steel frames, an electrical substation with an electrical control building, along with “an associated compound with fencing”.
The plans also seek permission to construct inverter/transformer stations, underground power and communication cables and ducts, boundary security fencing, a new internal access tracks and associated drainage infrastructure, and a new site entrance off the L6235 road.
If approved, the new farm will be connected to the 110KV substation in Kilkenny, which is roughly five kilometres away.
The application is seeking a 10-year planning permission period and a license to operate the solar farm for 35 years.
A decision on whether the farm gets the go-ahead is expected from the council within the next two fortnight.
