SSE Renewables has submitted a planning application for a solar farm project to be co-located adjacent to its Richfield Wind Farm in Ireland’s ‘Sunny South East’.

The proposal, currently under review by Wexford County Council, outlines the development of a 21MW solar photovoltaic array on a 44-hectare site near the established Richfield Wind Farm.

This initiative follows a period of local public consultations held earlier this year.

The existing Richfield Wind Farm, boasting a capacity of 27MW, currently provides electricity to approximately 18,000 homes and helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 18,000 metric tonnes each year.

With the potential addition of the co-located 21MW solar farm, the combined output from Richfield could see an increase of approximately 25%, equivalent to powering an additional 4,500 Irish homes annually.

Garry Brides, Senior Project Manager at SSE Renewables, has emphasised the significance of regulatory support for co-located projects like Richfield Solar.

Mr Brides said: “If co-located projects like Richfield Solar are to help deliver Ireland’s climate goals, industry will require more certainty as to how the regulatory framework will be evolved to support these developments.

“At present, we lack the necessary policy to underpin these kinds of hybrid technology grid connections.”