Ørsted and FuturEnergy Ireland have jointly decided to conclude plans for the proposed Cloghercor Wind Farm, near the Clogherachullion and Cloghercor areas of County Donegal.
The co-development had the potential to deliver up to 137MW of green energy and long-term community investment. In the context of meeting Ireland’s carbon budget and climate action targets, this project had the potential to remove up to 127,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere and power up to 80,000 homes each year. A community benefit fund of up to €500,000 per annum would have been available.
During the planning process, the designation of the site in the Donegal County Development Plan changed from “Open to Consideration” to “Not Normally Permissible”. Respecting An Bord Pleanála’s refusal of the project, Ørsted and FuturEnergy Ireland have taken the decision to step back.
Ørsted and FuturEnergy Ireland will continue to encourage consistent, predictable policy from local to national level as key to investment in and delivery of renewable energy. Both companies will continue to play their respective roles in decarbonising and providing resilient indigenous energy for Ireland with projects nationwide.
We wish to thank the local community for their proactive engagement throughout this process. We regret that we cannot engage further but are pleased to make a donation to the community’s local Mary’s Meals service.