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Construction is to begin in the middle of next year on a 37-acre solar farm near Cookstown, Co Tyrone, to power Dale Farm’s cheese-processing facility at Dunmanbridge through a private wire connection.
The 5mW capacity site will contain 18,000 solar modules and will be the largest solar farm in Ireland. Dale Farm is to switch to solar power for most of the energy requirements at Dunmanbridge, with the solar farm set to produce 20% of the company’s overall electricity needs.
Dale Farm chief executive Nick Whelan said that a shortage of electricity available from the national grid in the local area has made expansion plans at the Dunmanbridge challenging.
In August, Dale Farm opened a £7m investment in cheese processing at the site near Cookstown. Whelan said that it was essential to have certainty in electricity supply for the facility.
Speaking at a meeting in Newtonstewart earlier this month, Whelan said: “The cost and availability of electricity in Northern Ireland is quite shocking. It is ranked the second highest in Europe. The solar farm near Cookstown shows the extremes we have had to go for energy.”
Dale Farm has also pointed out environmental benefits from the project, which reduces 2,460t of carbon emissions each year, equal to taking 1,170 cars off the road.
The project is being developed in partnership with renewable energy firm CES Energy. Earlier this year, the first solar farm in NI was opened at Aldergrove, Co Antrim, to supply Belfast International Airport with electricity.
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