Project Description

Windfarm Location

Killhill Windfarm consists of 19 turbines, centred in the townlands of Killhill and Knockforlagh, near the villages of Dualla and Ballinure, South County Tipperary. It is served by roads R691 to the north and R692 to the south. The town of Cashel is about 7km west from the centre of the Killhill windfarm site. The predominant land use within the study area is agriculture i.e. improved grasslands for dairy farming. The landscape type is classified as hilly to flat farmland and varies in elevation from about 140-230metres OD, and the average wind speed at the site is approximately 7.1 - 8.1m/s. The location of the proposed windfarm is shown below.

For details of the location map view the 2465 301 EIS Figure 1.1.pdf

All 19 turbines under consideration for this project will have a three bladed rotor. The rotor is linked to the main shaft, which drives the gearbox and generator. Each turbine is linked by under ground cables to a metering point where electricity is exported to the National Grid.

The distribution of the Turbines within the site is shown on the Layout Plan. Note: the layout plan below is a revised layout plan, submitted as part of the Planning Application on November 3rd, 2006.



For details of the layout plan view the 2465 301 EIS Figure 2.11.pdf

Type of Turbine

It is not commercially feasible to select a particular turbine for the proposed windfarm at this stage of the project. This is due to the length of time that will elapse between preparing the planning application and ordering the turbines from a manufacturer. Therefore, the approach adopted in preparing the planning application and this EIS is to consider a group of feasible turbines as possible options for the proposed windfarm. The overall worst case impacts from this group of potential turbines are considered in this EIS. In this way, the Planning Authority can be assured that the as-built windfarm will have environmental impacts that are equal or less significant to those presented in the EIS.

Specifications for proposed wind turbines at Killhill:

• Rated generator power between 2.0MW and 2.5MW per wind turbine;
• Rotor diameter 71m to 82.4m;
• Hub height 78m to 86m; and
• Wind turbines are normally grey or off-white in colour.

The total capacity for 19 turbines will be 38MW to 47.5MW, depending on the model of turbine selected. An existing substation is sited in Cashel, and it is proposed to connect to the National Grid at this location. The output from 19 turbines will have the capacity to power approximately 24,700 to 30,800 homes per annum.

Other Elements

There will also be construction roads and an electricity substation located on the site.