Installation of the first turbine has been completed at Lenalea wind farm, a 30.1MW project being built as a joint venture between SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland.
Lenalea will be powered by seven Vestas V117-4.2 MW turbines in 4.3MW operating mode.
The wind farm is ten kilometres south-west of the town of Letterkenny in County Donegal.
Each turbine has a maximum tip height of 135m, a rotor diameter of 117m and a hub height of 76.5m.
The remaining six turbines have been pre-assembled and will be fully installed by the end of July 2023. Commercial operations are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Lenalea wind farm will generate enough clean energy to power 20,000 Irish households while offsetting 24,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
It is expected to significantly contribute to the country’s 2030 renewable energy targets.
SSE Renewables Ireland onshore development head Ghislain Demeuldre stated: “Onshore wind energy has made an enormous contribution so far by supplying Ireland with clean, green, homegrown energy, and it will continue to be instrumental in delivering the country’s energy security and climate goals as we approach 2030.
“With Ireland’s newest wind turbine now in place at Lenalea wind farm, we are one step further on that journey.”
Adman, an Irish civil engineering company, and electricity services provider Omexon were selected to support the project.
SSE Renewables also recently installed the last turbine at its 1.1GW Seagreen offshore wind farm, located 27km off the Scottish coast.
SSE Renewables owns a 49% stake in the wind farm and TotalEnergies holds the remaining 51% stake.
