The Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23) sets a target to halve our country’s carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero carbon emissions no later than 2050. CAP23 provides us with a roadmap to greater energy security, stable prices, more jobs, and regional development, particularly for rural communities.
Electricity will play an important role in the decarbonisation of sectors, including transport, heating, and industry, through electrification. Among the measures in the plan is to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030. A target of 9 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy from onshore wind, 8 GW from solar, and at least 5 GW of offshore wind energy has been set to be achieved by 2030.
We need to double the installed capacity of onshore wind in Ireland from over 4,400MW to 9,000MW. The development of new onshore wind farms are crucial as we move away from our reliance on fossil fuels. Developing our own clean renewable energy in Ireland gives us a security of supply and frees us from the dependence on imported fossil fuels.
While offshore wind will play a part in these 2030 targets (rising from 25MW in 2021 to 5,000MW in 2030), onshore wind is still fundamental to the decarbonisation of the electricity market in Ireland.
Proposed Muingmore Wind Farm - Overview
The proposed Muingmore Project could generate renewable energy helping to displace thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide, leading to cheaper electricity, energy security and help Ireland meet its challenging climate change and decarbonisation targets.
It could also lead to tangible local benefits such as employment opportunities during the construction and operation phases, possible payments under the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) to a Community Benefit Fund, or a specific Community Benefit Fund from RWE, and indirect benefits to the wider community from business rates paid to Mayo County Council.
RWE has identified an initial study area located approximately 11km west of Bangor Erris and approximately 4km north of Gweesalia for the proposed Muingmore Project, for up to 13 wind turbines (with a capacity of up to 86MW) with associated internal roads, an electrical substation, underground cabling and ancillary works and a battery storage facility. The study area comprises lands at Muingmore & Doolough and measures approximately 455 hectares. The proposed wind farm area under consideration consists of cutaway bog, agricultural land and forestry. These land uses could continue with a wind farm development at the site.
* RWE Renewables are currently in discussions with Coillte about the inclusion of sections of Coillte property in the proposal in addition to other third party lands. If you have any queries related specifically to Coillte, please contact them at [email protected]
The proposed Muingmore Project is located in an area of appropriate wind speeds with suitable available land on which to develop a wind farm. The land is in an area designated in the Mayo County Development Plan 2022 - 2028 as “Tier 1 - Preferred” for wind farm development. The site does not contain areas designated as European Protected Natura 2000 sites, meaning that it is not a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or a Special Protection Area (SPA) and also does not contain any nationally designated Natural Heritage Areas (NHA).
It occupies a sufficient area of land to accommodate a wind farm while keeping an appropriate distance from dwellings in line with government guidelines, that of 4 times tip height which for a 200m tip height turbine, is 800m from the nearest dwelling.
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