Design changes sought for approved substation on Leitrim wind farm

Planning permission has been sought from Leitrim County Council to amend an already approved electricity substation in Greaghnaslieve.

The original application, submitted in July 2023, requested approval for the installation of a modular medium-voltage electricity substation at the Spion Kop Wind Farm, to be located adjacent to the existing electricity switch room.

This development was granted planning permission in September 2023, subject to three conditions. 

These included that the substation accommodate a medium voltage of 10kV or 20kV only, and that the structures be painted to match the existing adjacent switchroom.

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Now, a separate application has been submitted in July of this year, seeking approval for a revised design of the electricity substation. 

The applicant is requesting changes to the original design, including a change in construction type from a modular structure to a block-built structure; an increase in the overall footprint from approximately 12.5 square metres to approximately 26 square metres, more than doubling the size; an increase in the height from 3.35 metres to 3.96 metres, representing a rise of 0.61 metres; as well as all associated site development works required to facilitate the proposed changes.

In essence, the application seeks to construct the substation to be larger, taller, and of a different build type than what was previously approved.

A decision on the application is expected from Leitrim County Council by September 14.

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Spion Kop Wind Farm is situated on Corry Mountain, on a plateau 400 metres above sea level, along the border between Leitrim and Roscommon. 

The wind farm was commissioned in 1998.