News
57-hectare solar farm approved for Milltown area
Kerry County Council has granted 10-year planning permission for a large-scale solar farm and battery storage facility outside Milltown.
The application, lodged by Laurel Ridge Solar Farm Ltd, covers a 57-hectare site across the townlands of Ballyoughtragh South, Commons, Farranmanagh, Knocknaman, and Lisheennashingane near Milltown.
The approved development features approximately 230,000 square metres of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels, string inverters, and 14 single-storey electrical transformer stations.
An energy storage compound on site will house 36 containerised energy storage modules, nine transformers, two auxiliary transformers, spare parts storage, and an office unit.
Permission was also granted for a 38kV substation with a single-storey control building, alongside a 3.87km underground grid connection running along private lands and local roads (L11003, L8003, and L80030) to link with the existing Oughtragh 110kV substation.
Access to the site will be served by six entrances off the L11003 and L80030 roads, with one entrance reserved strictly for the temporary construction phase. A Natura Impact Statement was submitted as part of the application process.
The solar farm has been granted an operational lifespan of 40 years.

