Ørsted is developing a new wind energy proposal to repower the Owenreagh I & II Wind Farms which have been operational since 1997 and 2008 respectively, and to modify and extend the consented Craignagapple Wind Farm which received planning permission in 2018 but has yet to be constructed.

With 14 wind turbines, this wind energy proposal would increase the total installed capacity across Owenreagh I & II Wind Farms and the consented turbines at Craignagapple from 24 MW to somewhere between 56 MW and 67 MW depending on the final candidate turbine selection and the final granted design. Such an increase would make a significant contribution towards helping meet the growing demand for renewable energy generation in Northern Ireland and help the transition to a low carbon future.

Development Location

The operational Owenreagh I & II Wind Farms are located on the western edge of the Sperrin Mountains on Owenreagh Hill, approximately 6 km south east of Artigarvan village, Co. Tyrone, and lie within the Derry City and Strabane District Council (“DCSDC”) area.

Project History

The Owenreagh I & II Wind Farms are currently operational and generate ~26.5GWh/year, enough to power ~8,250* homes. The site has an extensive wind energy history: Owenreagh Wind Farm I

Ten 0.55 MW turbines, which have been operational since 1997.  One of the ten turbines has since been removed, and the site has an installed capacity of 4.95 MW.  Removing these older turbines would allow us to replace them with taller, more powerful models to make better use of the excellent wind resource at this location.

Owenreagh Wind Farm II

Six further turbines, of 0.85 MW each, which have been operational since 2009, with a total installed capacity of 5.1 MW.  These turbines will also be removed and replaced with taller, more efficient ones as part of this project.

Current Craignagapple Consent

Consent was granted in 2018 for the construction and operation of six turbines adjacent to Owenreagh.  The capacity of the site if constructed would be in the region of 14 MW.  Similar to the plans for Owenreagh I & II we are proposing using taller, more powerful turbines which will help maximise the electricity generated from this location.

Proposed Turbine Layout for this Development

The proposed development consists of 14 new turbines with tip height of 156.5m. The final turbine locations and infrastructure design was informed by a number of different constraints, particularly avoiding areas of active peat and the deepest areas of peat, consultation with statutory consultees such as Environmental Health (noise), NIEA-NED (ecology including peat) and Landscape Architects Branch (Landscape and Visual Impact), and feedback from the community consultation events.

The map below shows the key infrastructure, including turbines, turbine hardstands, access roads, earthworks, substation and temporary construction compounds. More details on the design of these features is available in the planning application documents.

How to get Involved

Ørsted and the wider project team held the first public consultation events in November 2021 and were very happy to meet local residents and other stakeholders. The feedback we received was used to inform the current wind farm design. Our second public consultation event was held in November at the Fir Trees Hotel in Strabane and in December at Owen Roes’ Club Rooms in Glenmornan. We presented the proposed design and outlined the many ways in which this project could bring positive benefit to the local area, and also explained how you can engage with the planning process. It provided another opportunity for the community and other stakeholders to meet and put questions to our project team.

Now that the planning application has been submitted, you can view the planning documents here or on the Northern Ireland Planning portal. You can also submit a comment on the application via the planning portal.

Project Timeline
 

Latest News

December 2023: The non-material change application for the refurbishment of the Owenreagh I turbines was refused by Derry City & Strabane District Council.

September 2023: The Owenreagh/Craignagapple wind farm application was submitted in September 2023. It is Ørsted’s intention to decommission Owenreagh I & II as part of the Owenreagh/Craignagapple wind farm repowering application. The timeframe for the determination of this application is estimated to be in the region of 12-18 months.

July 2023:  A Non-Material Change application has been submitted to Derry City & Strabane District Council and is intended to facilitate the refurbishment of the existing Owenreagh I turbines. The Zond Z40 turbines are no longer in production, and the parts for the refurbishment are difficult to obtain. Therefore, it is easier to replace the turbine parts with the Vestas V39, which has similar turbine dimensions and is a quieter technology.

November/December 2022: The Stage 2 public consultation events were held on 30^th November 2022 (Fir Trees Hotel, Strabane) and 1^st December 2022 (Owen Roe O’Neills GAC Club Rooms, Glenmornan). As part of the Stage 2 consultations, Ørsted hosted an additional dedicated consultation event in a local landowners’ farm premises (Rouses barn on 29^th November 2022), to ensure that local residents could access project information in their immediate environs. Ørsted and the project team shared details of the wind farm layout and design, the Environmental Impact Assessment process and the planning application process. Feedback from the Stage 1 and Stage 2 public consultation events will be collated and included within the Pre-Application Community Consultation report that will be submitted as part of the planning application package.

November 2022: Third leaflet distributed to all houses within 3km of the proposed wind farm.

August 2022: Due to ongoing delays with the planning scoping process, the second community consultation event has been postponed until November 2022 and planning submission is now expected in Spring 2023

February 2022: Due to ongoing delays with the planning scoping process, the second community consultation event has been postponed until August/September 2022 and planning submission is now expected in Winter 2022

November 2021: First community consultation events held at Fir Trees Hotel in Strabane and Owen Roes’ GAC club rooms in Glenmornan

November 2021: Second leaflet distributed to community and other stakeholders

October 2021: Update Flyer circulated to all homes within 3km of the development

September 2021: First leaflet distributed to community and other stakeholders

July 2021: EIA Scoping and PAD Report submitted to DfI

May 2021: DfI Planning has confirmed that the project is considered regionally significant and they will be determining the planning application

April 2021: Section 26 determination submitted to Department for Infrastructure

Community Benefit Fund

As long-term owners, developers, and operators of renewable energy assets we seek to be active partners in the communities in which we develop projects.

We believe in giving back to the communities in which we work. In line with funds we have established in Scotland, we intend to offer an annual fund of £5,000 per MW. Depending on the final project design, this means a total fund of £250k-£360k per year which will be shared between community organisations surrounding the development. It will provide financial support to worthwhile initiatives that benefit the local community and local council area, enhance the local economy, and build social infrastructure.

We emphasise support to organisations that engage in:

• Community Services
• Educational Programmes
• Medical and Health Assistance
• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

How will the Community Benefit Fund be distributed?

It is essential for Ørsted that Community Benefit Funds are distributed in an open and transparent manner. We believe that the process should be designed and decided on by the community. We usually engage an independent organisation with experience in managing community funds to assist us with the process, from consulting the local community on the design and management of the fund, inviting applications to the fund, recruiting a panel to review applications, to distributing funds to successful projects. If you are interested in becoming involved in this process, please let us know and we will contact you once it begins.

Wind Energy

Wind turbines harness the power of the wind to generate renewable electricity. Wind is one of the world’s fastest growing renewable energy sources and has become a major component in the energy mix. Wind power is clean, cost effective and does the same job as fossil fuels but generates less waste. Northern Ireland has one of Europe’s strongest wind resources creating significant potential for the deployment of wind power to increase the proportion of energy produced from renewable sources. This trend is expected to continue as:

• The costs of wind energy continue to fall

• Threats to energy security persist across the globe

• The need to tackle climate change becomes increasingly urgent

For the 12 month period January 2023 to December 2023, 45.8% of total electricity consumption in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources located in Northern Ireland. Wind energy contributed 83% of all renewable electricity during this period. (source: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/electricity-consumption-and-renewable-generation-statistics)

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 received Royal Assent on 6 June 2022.  The Act includes a target for net-zero emissions by 2050 as well as a set of interim targets for 2030 and 2040. It states “The Department for the Economy must ensure that at least 80% of electricity consumption is from renewable sources by 2030.” One of the key ways to achieve this target is by increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the electricity sector. The recent energy crisis has highlighted our over-reliance on fossil fuels from overseas. Installing wind farms, such as this one, will help to secure Northern Ireland’s energy independence and help to shield us from excessive fossil fuel prices.