– If approved, Richfield could continue to generate clean green energy for a further twenty years –
SSE Renewables is submitting a planning application to Wexford County Council this week to extend the operational life of its Richfield Wind Farm near Bridgetown in County Wexford.
If approved, a new planning consent would allow SSE Renewables to continue to generate clean green energy at Richfield for a further twenty years.
This would ensure the wind farm could continue to produce homegrown energy for Ireland while positively supporting good causes in South Wexford through another two decades of community benefit fund payments.
With an installed capacity of 27MW, the 18-turbine Richfield Wind Farm has been playing a vital role in renewable energy production for almost two decades. Each year, the green electricity generated at the wind farm has been able to power up to 18,000 homes, helping displace almost 18,000 metric tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide annually.
SSE Renewables is now required to submit a planning application to extend the life of the wind farm. This is because its existing planning consent, which was granted in 2005, restricts the wind farm’s operational lifetime to just 20 years.
The planning application does not propose any increase in the number or size of the wind turbines at the site.
To support the planning process, SSE Renewables hosted a public information event earlier this year at the Stella Maris Centre in Kilmore Quay where members of the local community were provided an opportunity to find out further details of the company’s plans. This included information on how the wind farm’s Community Fund would continue to operate if the site’s life extension is approved. Since it launched in 2007, the Richfield Community Fund has awarded more than €400,000 to 266 community groups in the vicinity of the wind farm, with almost €34,000 awarded in the last year alone.
Ciaran Maguire, Onshore Wind O&M General Manager Ireland for SSE Renewables, said: “Richfield Wind Farm has contributed to clean energy production in Ireland for nearly two decades, and with this life extension, it has the potential to continue to support the country in achieving its ambitious climate targets. Importantly, if we are successful in extending the operational life of the wind farm, we can continue to provide direct benefits to the local community for many more years to come through our long-standing Community Benefit Fund.”
Separately, SSE Renewables is also progressing plans for a 21MWp solar farm adjacent to the existing Richfield Wind Farm at a 44-hectare site in the townlands of Hooks and Yoletown. The company was granted planning permission for the solar project in June 2024.
