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By Sean Moriarty

East Kerry locals fighting the construction of a wind turbine battery storage site in their locality are set to protest outside Kerry County Council offices in Tralee tomorrow (Monday).

Last week the Killarney Advertiser reported that the Council had given planning permission to Redfaze Limited to build the battery storage site at Ballynahulla, Ballydesmond.

The development will house 40 battery units, transformers and associated equipment.

Battery storage compounds store excess electricity generated by windfarms when the wind is high - and release it back into the grid when the turbines are slack.

Up to 300 angry and frustrated locals from the Gneeveguilla, Knocknagree, Scartaglin, Kiskeam and Newmarket areas say that they fear that the batteries are potentially at high risk of going on fire which could lead to an evacuation of a 10 mile radius in the area.

This week they lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanalaagainst planning permission for the facility on health and safety grounds.

Their next step is to protest outside County Buildings, Rathass, Tralee at 10am tomorrow.

“An Bord Pleanala received our appeal,” Anita O’Sullivan, who is opposed to the development, said.

“We are timing our protest outside the County Buildings as the councillors attend their monthly meeting. We anticipate a good turn-out.”

Their main concern is the risk of fire which could result in toxic smoke.