About The Project
The proposed wind farm development is located in Cloonanny Glebe, Co. Longford. The proposed project is being developed by Natural Forces, who acknowledge that working on these lands is a privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility. As such, the project, which is approximately 3 km northeast of Longford town could have a total capacity of up to 14 MW, representing no. 2 turbines. This would be enough electricity to power over 8,000 – 10,000 Irish homes each year.
The grid connection for the windfarm does not form part of the planning application. Although the grid connection options are excluded from the red line boundary, they have been considered within the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and supporting assessments which consider the project as a whole. Three grid routes have been considered which are highlighted in the figure below:
Project Updates
As we develop this project, we are committed to providing the public with frequent updates and the results of our environmental studies in this section.
Project Milestone Timeline
October 2021 – Landowner agreements finalised
October 2021 – Environmental studies began
March 2022 – Initial site surveying
April 2022 – Community engagement began
February 2023 – Wind monitoring began
October 2024 – Information Session held for the wider community
Late 2024 – Submitting the planning application to Longford County Council
Who is proposing this project?
Founded in 2001 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Natural Forces partners with Indigenous communities, universities, and municipalities to develop, construct, own, and operate renewable energy projects. Currently the company manages approximately 300MW of wind, solar, and hydropower projects across Canada, Ireland, and France.
Why here?
When developing a wind project, it is crucial to find the most suitable location to host it. To do so, there are four main factors to consider during the site finding phase of development:
- Wind resource
- Distance to existing electrical and civil infrastructure
- Environmental sensitivity
- Socio-economic concerns
Ireland has excellent wind resources, so generating electricity is feasible in many locations around the country. Factors other than the strength and consistency of the wind must be taken into account when considering a site, such as proximity to the electricity grid, road access, ecology, archaeology, and cultural significance, proximity to residential dwellings, and health concerns.
The location of the Cloonanny Wind Project was selected after a thorough review of all of these factors.
Live Map
Link: https://nfirel.github.io/Cloonanny/#12/53.7110/-7.7636
Community Engagement
Natural Forces is committed to engaging with the public, stakeholders, and stakeholder groups throughout the lifetime of the project. We are both keen to ensure the community understands the project details and is aware of project activities, and to accept input and feedback from community members. Below is information about the engagement activities that have taken place to date:
Door-to-door knocking
House visits to immediate neighbours along the L5046 and L50461 were made in April 2022 to provide information about the planned installation of a met mast scheduled for the following month. In September 2024, these homes were revisited to provide further project updates.
Information Session
An information session for this project took place on Wednesday 9th October 2024 at The Old Forge, Kiernan’s Cross, Carriglass, Co. Longford (N39 A7N6). The event followed a drop-in format, running from 14:30 to 20:00 PM. Approximately 50 attendees were furnished with information about the site, the project’s benefits and potential impacts. Maps, photomontages, and other visual materials were displayed, while attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Natural Forces team, planning consultants from McCutcheon Halley, and environmental specialists.
Please use your smartphone to scan the QR code or click the link to complete the survey form to provide feedback on the project/information session.
Link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=QjEX-p_CMki3QcTYc9dhT6EnEJb_LfNCvICBxUdVcN5UMUFRVUczM0tIME5PVUZLM09ZOFJHUDAyQi4u&route=shorturl
QR Code:
What is the process?
1
Development
(Current Stage)
- Assess the wind resource
- Survey for environmentally sensitive features
- Optimise turbine location to capture the wind efficiently and minimise impact on sensitive features
- Begin consultation with regulators and the public
- Conduct and present the Environmental Impact Assessment for environmental approval
- Apply for road, work and construction permits
2
Construction
- Clear trees for roads and turbine pads
- Build access roads and pad areas
- Pour the turbine foundation
- Assemble the wind turbine
- Connect to grid
3
Operation
- Commission the wind turbines to start producing power
- Conduct post-construction wildlife monitoring
- Monitor remotely for real-time alerts when additional maintenance is needed
- Operate for 35 years
4
Decommission or Retrofit
- Assess wind turbine after 35 years
- Decommission wind turbines in 3-6 months
- Reclaim the site to its former state OR
- Receive approvals and permits to retrofit the turbine to continue harnessing energy
Environmental Impact Assessment
In Ireland any project that exceeds 5MW or 5 turbines are required to complete an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). During this process a team of third party consultants undertake surveys to evaluate the location and overall impact of the project on the surrounding area. As this project exceeds 5MW, it is subject to an EIA.
Survey | Specialist | Assessment & results | Mitigation |
Shadow Flicker (sunlight strobing effects) | Enercon | WindPro software identified 26 receptors exceeding 30-minute/day or 30-hour/year on a worst-case scenario basis, but none are within 500m of the turbines.
Worst case assumes that the sun shines always, and the turbines operate perpendicular to the sun at all times.
Real Case shows that no receptors exceed the 2006 thresholds outlined above. | A shadow shutdown system will be installed which will turn off the turbines if shadow flicker is detected. |
Noise | AWN | Three noise monitoring devices were installed around the site from April to June 2024, with results at or below the 2006 WEDG baseline noise levels for operation. | For construction & decommissioning: Limiting the hours of construction, keeping the surface of the access tracks even, regular maintenance of machinery, which are also fitted with exhaust silencers. |
Aviation | AiBridges | Consultation with Garda Air Support Unit, Irish Air Corps and Irish Aviation Authority, along with desktop assessments to assess the interference with aircraft flight paths and radar systems. | Fit turbines with Aeronautical Obstacle Warning Lights |
Telecommunication | AiBridges | The layout was reduced from 4 to 2 turbines due to surrounding telecommunication lines, with no interference in the current design. | N/a |
Landscape Visual Impact (Photomontages) | MacroWorks | The impact is rated medium-low due to key views, scenic routes, local communities, population centers, major routes, and heritage features. The area already features 19 turbines at Sliabh Bawn and 22 in development at Derryadd. | N/a |
Biodiversity | ID Environmental Consultants (IDEC) | Biodiversity loss will be temporary and overall habitat loss is negligible. Areas within the development that are subject to loss will be reinstated/ “enhanced” according to the processes outlined in the BEMP. | A Biodiversity Enhancement Management Plan (BEMP) will be implemented. An example of activities to mitigate the impact is to install gates around the field entrance to allow for more controlled grazing of Molinia Meadow. |
Hydrology | IE Consulting | A flood risk assessment found the main risk to the site comes from the potential of an extreme fluvial event at the Camlin River, affecting turbine 2. The development is not expected to impact the area’s hydrology or increase flood risk elsewhere. | A Surface Water Management Plan will be implemented, featuring mitigation measures like cut-off drains, silt fencing, check dams, and swales, bunded foundation during construction. |
Ornithology and Bats | IDEC, Flynn Furney, and Blackstaff Ecology | Surveys (birds and bats) and a collision risk assessment model (birds) were completed. It was determined that the overall impact with birds and bats is low as the project has been designed to specifically avoid/reduce/minimise any bird or bat receptors from being impacted. | Mitigation for birds was done mostly via design of the project – during construction the main mitigation strategy will be to avoid clearance of any vegetation during bird breeding season (March to August). Bird surveys will also continue during the operational phase and depending on the results could alter the mitigation techniques. For bats, a bat monitoring and mitigation plan (BMMP) has been drafted which includes post-construction and static detection monitoring. |
Soils and Geology | Whiteford Geoservices | Site investigations, including trial pits, peat probing, and lab tests, revealed underlying limestone, potentially karstified, which could cause instability.
GSI mapping shows low landslide risk at the site. | Karst risks will be mitigated through a pre-construction ground investigation, including additional drilling to assess the rock formation’s stability beneath the main infrastructure. |
Archaeology | ICON (John Kavanagh) | Test trenching on the site found no features.
Desktop survey and consults based on National Monument Standards | Archaeology & Development: Guidelines for Good Practice for Developers will be adhered to during construction i.e. having an archaeologist present on site. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The proposed turbines are greater than 4 times overall tip height from housing, in line with the current 2006 and the 2019 Draft Wind Energy Guidelines. More specifically, the closest dwelling is over 800m away from the nearest turbine.
Shadow flicker occurs when the sun passes behind the rotating blades of a wind turbine, creating a flickering shadow effect. However, there will be no impact on surrounding properties. The turbines will be equipped with a shadow shutdown feature, which automatically stops the turbines if shadow flicker is detected, ensuring that it does not cause any disturbance.
Wind turbines have moving parts and therefore some sound can be expected. However, well-designed wind turbines are quiet in operation, and compared to the noise of road traffic, trains, aircraft, and construction activities, the sound from wind turbines is very low. As wind turbine technology has evolved, the sounds emitted have decreased. The further away you are from a project, the less sound it will make.
A typical wind project would have a noise level of between 35-45 decibels. For reference, the compressor of a refrigerator produces 40-45 decibels. Natural Forces follows the standards for distance from residences laid out by national guidelines.
No. A study carried out by the HSE in 2017 investigated the health effects of wind turbines. This study found there is no support for adverse effects on health from wind turbines. The summary of these results can be reviewed here.
Natural Forces leases land from private landowners. Over the course of several years, we have developed trusted relationships with the landowners and in all instances the land remains in the ownership of the landowner which is leased for the duration of the project. No land has been leased from unwilling landowners.
The busiest time for traffic will be during construction. However, delivery routes have been carefully selected to minimise disruption. Temporary road closures may occur, but residents will be informed in advance. A trained person will always be on-site to manage road safety. A Preliminary Transport Management Plan, which contains more detailed information on traffic and transport will be available to the public on Longford County Councils website once the application is submitted.
During construction, Natural Forces will make every attempt to hire local contractors, using our in-house construction management company, Natural Forces Construction, to ensure smaller contractors are able to participate.
A mandatory Community Benefit Fund (CBF) is required for all projects that are successful in a RESS auction. This fund is currently set at €2/MWh generated for approximately 15 years. For a project involving two turbines, with an average wind speed of 6 m/s and utilising the Enercon E175 power curve, the anticipated CBF would be approximately €76,000 annually. This estimate is similar to what can be anticipated for the Cloonanny Windfarm.
This fund will specifically target and incentivise investments in the wider economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being of the local community. There is a potential to use the CBF to develop a walkway and cycleway around the windfarm, along with interpretive signage, outdoor exercise equipment, and a learning hub. This hub could be used by school and college groups for educational purposes and day trips. Other examples of projects that have been funded through CBFs include scholarships, community centres, energy upgrades in sports clubs and community centres, education programmes and disability access projects.
Natural Forces have committed to providing a CBF for the lifetime of the project.
For more information contact:
Jonathan Coffey, Managing Director
+353876352172
jcoffey@naturalforces.ie
