SSE Renewables, a utility firm, has bagged approval for its inaugural solar enterprise in Ireland, the Richfield Solar Farm stationed in Wexford. This solar venture, capable of generating enough electricity annually to fuel approximately 4,500 households in Ireland, is set to bolster green energy in the region.
Yet, there is still uncertainty surrounding whether the venture will be implemented. According to SSE, the project’s delivery depends on their ability to establish an economically viable market route. Modifications to the present grid link rules are also necessary to enable the solar project to utilise the existing energy export capacity of the Richfield Wind Farm.
The ability to initiate construction will hinge on several factors, including alterations to the current grid connection rules for hybrid connections in Ireland as voiced by Garry Brides, SSE Renewables’ senior project manager. He expressed anticipation for the forthcoming policy decision on these reforms by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) later this year, and readiness to cooperate with the regulator, EirGrid, and the Government to eliminate any potential hurdles to delivering such hybrid connections.
The Richfield Wind Farm, operational since 2006, yields enough sustainable energy to power approximately 18,000 households each year. SSE maintains that blending wind and solar power would result in more productive and resilient energy production, thereby achieving green energy goals more cost-effectively due to shared infrastructure.
This solar farm forms part of SSE’s five-year plan, which includes an investment exceeding €1 billion in Ireland’s renewable and low carbon generation by 2027. Corresponding with the stipulations in the Wexford County Development Plan 2022-2028, SSE Renewables plans to plant native woodland species across 15% of the solar farm site as part of the development process.