Ireland’s tallest wind turbines proposed for Donegal
Plans have been lodged for six turbines reaching up to 202 metres in height near Quigley’s Point in Inishowen.
Planning permission is being sought to construct Ireland’s tallest wind turbines in Donegal, with the six proposed turbines potentially reaching 202 metres in height.
Aught Windfarm Limited has lodged plans with Donegal County Council for six giant wind turbines in the townlands of Aught, Ture and Three Trees, approximately 5km west of Quigley’s Point and 6km north of Muff.
If constructed at their maximum proposed height, the turbines would stand 17 metres taller than the 185-metre turbines at Statkraft’s Cushaling Wind Farm on the Kildare–Offaly border, currently the tallest operational turbines in the State.
The proposed turbines would have tip heights ranging from 150 metres to 202 metres, rotor diameters of between 133 metres and 138 metres and hub heights ranging from 81 metres to 135 metres.
However, the exact turbine dimensions have not yet been finalised. The developer is seeking flexibility to select turbine models within the specified parameters, as outlined in a design flexibility opinion issued by Donegal County Council on July 31.
Each turbine would have a generating capacity of between 4.26MW and 4.80MW, giving the Wind Farm a combined generating capacity of between 25.56MW and 28.8MW.
The proposal represents a significant change in scale from an earlier wind farm development at the same location in Quigley’s Point.
Approximately 11 years ago, Donegal County Council granted planning permission for a 14-turbine wind farm to Aught Wind Farm Ltd. Those turbines had a maximum overall height of 100.5 metres.
The new proposed development will also involve the construction of six permanent wind turbine foundations, crane hardstands and temporary assembly areas.
Plans by the Buncrana Wind Farm company include approximately 2km of new site access tracks and the upgrading of approximately 3.4km of existing tracks, together with improvements to two existing entrances from the L-18111 public road.
Three temporary construction compounds, a permanent meteorological mast measuring approximately 125 metres, underground electrical and communications cabling, three borrow pits and permanent spoil storage areas are also included in the application.
Turbine delivery works along the L-18111 local road will form part of the development, together with drainage improvements and associated landscaping.
Documents attached to the application state that, if permission is granted, construction at the wind farm would take approximately 18 to 24 months.
Aught Windfarm Limited is seeking a 10-year planning permission to construct the development and an operational lifespan of 40 years to generate wind energy once the entire wind farm is built.
At their maximum proposed height, the wind turbines would also be 22 metres taller than Donegal's tallest wind turbines at the Culliagh–Meentycat wind farm in Ballybofey, where tip heights reach approximately 180 metres.
The Aught proposal comes amid a move towards increasingly larger onshore wind turbines in Ireland. A planning application has recently been submitted to Offaly County Council for the Bellair Wind Farm on the Offaly–Westmeath border, which includes turbines with maximum tip heights of 220 metres and would be 18 metres bigger than Aught if both are approved.
Yet even these massive structures remain modest on a global scale. While the Inishowen turbines would dominate the local skyline if approved, they would still look tiny in comparison to the world's tallest wind turbine, which reaches a staggering tip height of 365 metres in Schipkau, Germany.
The proposed Aught application is accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and a Natura Impact Statement (NIS), which will be examined as part of the planning process.
The project falls under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III), aimed at accelerating the transition to cleaner energy systems across Europe. Central to the directive are mandatory timelines for the granting of permits across various project types, a move intended to streamline administrative procedures, reduce delays, and support the expansion of sustainable energy infrastructure.
Donegal County Council is due to decide on the application by the start of next year.