Kildare County Council has granted permission for a new 607ac solar farm in the county.

This large-scale project will involve installing 1,130,000 square metres of solar photovoltaic panels on ground-mounted frames.

The solar farm will have a maximum export capacity of approximately 210 megawatts and will operate for 40 years.

Delamain Solar Farm Limited, the developer with a registered address in Cork, has said that the project will be developed on lands owned by nine separate farming families.

They say the project represents a collaborative effort within the local agricultural community. The project received nearly 140 submissions during the planning process.

The solar farm spans across six land parcels in the townlands of Brannockstown, Brownstown, Carnalway, Coghlanstown West, Corbally, Delamain, Dunnstown, Gaganstown, Greenhills, Harristown, Hillsborough, Moorhill and Rochestown in Kildare.

Payments

The application was granted with 22 conditions. As part of these conditions, the developer is required to lodge a €2m bond with Kildare County Council, which will be retained for 12 months following the completion of the works, subject to the satisfactory reinstatement of the public road.

The developer must also pay €800,000 in development contributions to the council.

The solar farm will connect to the Dunstown 400kV/220kV substation via a proposed 220kV substation and underground cable.

This infrastructure is classified as strategic and needs a separate planning application to be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála.