FuturEnergy Ireland, a joint venture between Coillte and ESB, has outlined plans for a new onshore wind development in County Cork, reinforcing Ireland’s ongoing drive to scale domestic green capacity.

The proposed Carker FuturEnergy Park, introduced to local stakeholders this week, is being prepared for a planning application under the Strategic Infrastructure Development process, which indicates a minimum capacity of 50MW.

The planned site lies 9.5km southeast of Charleville and 5km north of Doneraile, positioned close to ESB’s 33.3MW Castlepook and the 19MW Ballyhoura wind farms operated by Mitsubishi and Arjun. According to the developer, the location was selected due to consistently strong wind speeds and an existing network of forestry roads suitable for construction access.

The proposal also includes potential for co-located energy storage and solar assets, making it one of the more flexible projects emerging within the national pipeline. FuturEnergy Ireland will start detailed site studies in the coming months and has scheduled a community engagement meeting in Mallow next week. The planning application is targeted for submission in 2027.

Setback distances have been a key topic in recent projects, with the company confirming that dwellings will maintain a minimum 800-metre buffer. “The scale of the site is such that setback distances from houses are well in excess of national guidelines,” the developer said.

Aoife McGovern, project developer, stated: “We are very pleased to be bringing this project forward to the pre-planning phase. Together with our 1GW+ portfolio of projects, Carker will help to secure energy independence, reduce carbon emissions, and create a sustainable future for generations to come.”

Explore the full article for the complete project breakdown and next steps.