Ireland: Gaelectric launches 4.6 MW Wind Farm at Leabeg, Co. Offaly

Renewable energy and energy storage group, Gaelectric, officially launched its ninth operating wind farm at Leabeg, 6 km southeast of Ferbane in Co. Offaly earlier today.

Leabeg is a 4.6 Megawatt wind farm comprising of two German-made Enercon wind turbines. It will generate sufficient renewable power to provide 12,000 megawatt-hours of electricity which is sufficient to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 2,500 homes. Pupils from nearby Lumcloon National School who visited the wind farm named its two turbines ‘Sky Spinner’ and ‘Sky Rocket’.

Commenting at today’s launch, Barry Gavin, Chief Operating Officer of Gaelectric, said, “We are delighted to officially open Leabeg Wind Farm, our sixth operating wind farm in the Republic of Ireland and one of nine we now have operating on the island of Ireland. It will make an important contribution to renewable electricity generating capacity in the Irish midlands, and contribute savings in CO2 emissions of around 6,000 tonnes equivalent. With Leabeg, we now have 175MW of generating wind farms in Ireland which puts us close to the half way point of our target of 400MW of generating wind assets in Ireland by the end of 2017.”

Commenting at today’s launch, Mr. Eamon Dooley, Cathoirleach of Offaly County Council, said: “The quest for secure and sustainable sources of energy is the major concern of the modern age. County Offaly has a long and proud heritage of generating power from our own natural resources. Historically this has been peat. But as Leabeg clearly demonstrates, Offaly can also take its place as a provider of renewable power, be this in the form of biomass, solar or wind. In this way we can support our local economy and jobs, but also make an important contribution to Ireland’s national energy interests.”

Community Benefit – A Community Benefit Fund, established to support local community projects, will contribute an estimated €10,000 per year, or €250,000 over the lifetime of the project. This is in addition to estimated payments of €32,000 per year in commercial rates to Offaly County Council, or €800,000 over the lifetime of the project.

The construction and commissioning of Leabeg Wind Farm also contributed to the local economy, employing approximately 60 people during its 8 month construction programme.

Leabeg is one of nineteen windfarms being developed by Gaelectric on the island of Ireland, and its ninth operating wind farm following Skrine (ROI), Carn Hill (NI), Dunbeg (NI), Faughary (ROI), Cloghboola (ROI), Ballywater (ROI), Monnaboy (NI) and Roosky (ROI).  Gaelectric’s current operating portfolio has a generating capacity of 175MW, sufficient to meet the electricity needs of over 110,000 homes.