Planning application submitted for Lemanaghan Wind Farm in Co. Offaly

BnM’s Mount Lucas Wind Farm in County Offaly. BnM and SSE have submitted a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála for the proposed 15-turbine Lemanaghan Wind Farm in north-west Offaly. Picture credit: BnM

Joint SSE–BnM project aims to deliver 90MW of clean energy with significant local benefits

BnM and SSE have submitted a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála for the proposed 15-turbine Lemanaghan Wind Farm in County Offaly.

The wind farm would have an installed capacity of 90MW – enough to be able to power the equivalent of up to 65,700 homes annually and displace over 56,000 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions each year*.

The planning application has been submitted by Lemanaghan Wind Farm DAC, a 50:50 joint venture between co-development partners BnM and SSE Renewables, to An Coimisiún Pleanála for assessment as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID). If consented and delivered, Lemanaghan Wind Farm would provide more of the homegrown, secure and affordable clean energy Ireland needs while supporting jobs and investment in the region.

The proposed wind farm is located on an area of Lemanaghan Bog in north-west Offaly, near the communities of Ballycumber, Ferbane, and Pollagh. The infrastructure footprint is expected to cover less than 5% of the development site. The project comprises 15 onshore wind turbines with a blade tip height of up to 220 metres. A new 220kV substation to connect the wind farm to the electricity grid is also proposed.

The plans submitted also propose enhanced amenities in the area for community use and increased accessibility. These include the creation of new walking and cycling trails throughout the wind farm site.

Lemanaghan Wind Farm has been designed following a constraint led design approach, and engagement with the National Monuments Service, to avoid and minimise potential impacts on known archaeological, architectural and cultural sites. A detailed Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted as part of the planning application. Members of the public are encouraged to review the report and to share their views as part of the planning process.

The submission of a planning application for the proposed wind farm follows an extensive period of consultation since 2021 with residents and neighbouring communities. Feedback from this process has helped inform the final proposed design of the wind farm.

It is expected delivery of the proposed project would bring significant and long-term economic, environmental and social value to the Midlands. During construction, it is anticipated up to 120 jobs would be supported at peak delivery, creating significant supply chain opportunities for local contractors and service providers in the region.

During the operational phase, the wind farm would continue to provide an economic boost to the region through local spend as well as annual contributions in commercial rates payments to Offaly County Council.

A Community Benefit Fund would be established upon Lemanaghan Wind Farm entering commercial operations. Payments from the Community Benefit Fund would be made to support good causes in the locality and region.

Final delivery of Lemanaghan Wind Farm would be subject to the project receiving the necessary planning consents, securing a route to market, and a final investment decision by the project’s co-development partners.

Ghislain Demeuldre, Head of Onshore Projects Ireland at SSE Renewables, said:

“The design of Lemanaghan Wind Farm has been strongly guided by extensive engagement with the local community and detailed environmental assessments. We are pleased to bring forward a planning application that reflects this input at a time when accelerating Ireland’s supply of clean, secure and affordable renewable energy has never been more important.”

Speaking about the project, Brendan Kelly, Head of Commercial, BnM said:

“BnM remains committed to delivering renewable energy while meeting our responsibilities as a landowner and neighbour. Our approach continues Lemanaghan’s role of delivering indigenous sourced energy while applying BnM’s integrated land use where wind energy, biodiversity, heritage and public amenity co-exist. This is a key project that will displace imported fossil fuel consumption and improve long term energy affordability for customers”.

Members of the public can view and download the planning application and supporting documents including the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) at a dedicated website, www.lemanaghanwindfarmplanning.ie. Copies of the application and all supporting documents can also be viewed at the offices of An Coimisiún Pleanála, the headquarters of Offaly County Council and in Ferbane Library for a period of seven weeks commencing 7th April 2026.

Location of Hard Copies of Planning Application for Public View

In addition to accessing planning documents online, copies of the application and all supporting documents can also be viewed free of charge, or purchased on payment of a specified fee (which shall not exceed the reasonable cost of making such a copy) during public opening hours for a period of seven weeks commencing 7th April 2026 until 26th May 2026 at the following office locations:

• The Offices of An Coimisiún Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 V902 (9:15am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday)
• The Offices of Offaly County Council, Áras an Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, R35 F893 (9:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday)
• Ferbane Library, Lower Main Street, Ferbane, Co. Offaly, R42 WF59 (10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm, Tuesday and Thursday; 6pm to 8pm, Thursday; 10am to 1pm, Saturday, excluding Bank Holiday Weekends) 
   

Lemanaghan Wind Farm Community Benefits

Should Lemanaghan Wind Farm be consented and delivered, subject to a final investment decision, a Community Benefit Fund would be developed during the wind farm’s first year of operation.

A key criterion of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s Community Benefit Rulebook, as updated in 2025, is that the projects and initiatives supported by the Community Benefit Fund will benefit the communities surrounding the wind farm.

The value of the Community Benefit Fund will be linked to the productivity of the wind farm and is calculated based on €2/MWh of the overall total generated by the wind farm. It is estimated that the proposed Fund could be in the region of circa €8 million over the first 15 years of the operation of the Proposed Wind Farm, on the basis of a projected annual generation output of 275,940 MWh.

_{* Quoted 65,700 homes powered based on projected 90MW installed capacity, typical projected wind load factor of 35%, and based on an average annual Irish household demand of 4.2MWh (4,200kWh), 56,375 tonnes of carbon emissions displaced based on projected annual MWh output (275,940MWh per annum) and latest average CO2 Emissions (0.204gCO2/kWh) sourced from Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland’s (SEAI) Conversion and Emissions Factors for Publication worksheet 2024.}