Plans approved to lay over 5km of cable to serve Kilkenny solar farm
Harmony Solar Kilkenny Limited have received planning permission, subject to seventeen conditions, to lay over 5km of cable to serve a Kilkenny solar farm.
Areas where development is proposed include Scart, Highrath, Maddoxtown, Rathgarvan/Clifden, Roughfield, Abbeygrove, Annfield, Carran and Smithstown (Townlands), County Kilkenny.
The cable is planned to run for a distance of 5,710m.
According to the plans, approximately 4890 metres of this will be within the public road and approximately 820 metres of cabling will be on private lands located South of the R172 and on lands of the permitted Clashwilliam Solar Farm.
"The cable will transverse under the Irish Rail Railway within the townland of Highrath and the M9 motorway in the townland of Roughfield through trenchless Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) methods," the application stated.
"The underground cable is intended to connect the permitted 38kV substation in Clashwilliam Solar Farm, in Smithstown townland, with the Kilkenny 110kV ESB substation, in Scart townland."
The solar farm and 38kV substation were previously granted permission by Kilkenny County Council.
The decision to approve planning permission was made by Kilkenny County Council on December 19, 2022.