Renewable energy developer RES has submitted a planning application for its 12-turbine Carnbuck Wind Farm, located in Carnbuck, Magheraboy and Moneyneagh townlands, near Corkey, County Antrim. Adjacent to the existing Gruig wind farm, Carnbuck would be capable of producing enough clean, low-cost renewable electricity to power an additional 55,000 homes annually, if permitted. The proposed project includes 12 turbines with a total installed capacity of approximately 50 MW, as well as an energy storage facility that will help maximize the site’s generating capacity and efficiency.
A project that is part of the progression of wind power in Northern Ireland
Onshore wind power, along with large-scale solar, is now the cheapest form of electricity generation and can be deployed quickly. It also increases energy security by reducing dependence on imports and increases resilience to price fluctuations caused by fossil fuels. Carnbuck would be good for the environment, but also for the consumer.
David McVeigh, Development Project Manager at RES, said, “The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions is growing and wind power, as a free and inexhaustible resource, has a crucial role to play. A recent analysis showed that consumers in Northern Ireland saved £500 million because wind farms produced 42% of our electricity last year.”
Carnbuck: a park that benefits an entire region of Northern Ireland
Following public consultations in March 2022 and January 2023, RES reviewed the comments received from the community and key consultants, as well as the results of environmental and engineering studies, to inform the detailed design of the proposed wind farm. The site layout has been designed to minimize impacts as much as possible, including a shared site entrance and common infrastructure with the existing Gruig wind farm, which will reduce the environmental footprint and traffic movements associated with wind farm construction.
If approved, the Carnbuck Wind Farm will not only help meet Northern Ireland’s carbon neutrality goals, but it will also create sustainable, skilled jobs and help stimulate a cleaner economy. The project will provide an economic boost by bringing a potential investment of £3.3 million to the local area in the form of employment and use of local services during the development. It is estimated that the development would involve a capital expenditure of approximately £65 million, of which almost £30 million would be realized in the Northern Ireland economy. In Northern Ireland, RES has developed and/or built 22 onshore wind farms equivalent to nearly 380 MW and currently operates over 150 MW of wind projects.
