The proposed Ballyleagry Solar Farm will have an output of circa 29 MW. If developed, it will contribute to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s and Northern Ireland’s fight against climate change by generating enough renewable electricity to power approximately 10,500 homes and businesses; and removing CO2 emissions by 14,500 tons annually.
More renewable energy projects are needed in Northern Ireland to help achieve the renewable electricity consumption target of at least 80% by 2030 as set out in the Climate Change (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.
Please click on the headings below to view the posters in detail.
| What is being proposed? |
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| Why Ballyleagry Road? |
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| What will the Ballyleagry Solar Farm look like? |
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| What will the Ballyleagry Solar Farm look like? |
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| Planning Policy |
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| Environmental Considerations |
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| Feedback and Next Steps |
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| How does PV Work? |
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The proposed site is located at lands extending between the east of 10a-16 Ballyleagry Road, to the north of 23 Ballyleagry Road and to the west of 112-122 Edenmore Road, Limavady. For reference, please see the site location plan provided below.
It is approximately 31 hectares in size and is relatively flat with some local undulations. The land comprises seven agricultural fields currently used for grazing sheep. Grazing can continue when the project is built and operational.
Most residential dwellings in the vicinity of the site are orientated away from the proposed solar farm, have mature screening on the boundaries or there are intervening field boundaries with mature hedgerows. Additional landscaping to site boundaries will also be proposed to further screen the site.
The proposed site falls within 1km of the existing substation where it is anticipated the project will connect to the electricity grid (subject to grid connection application process).
This webpage is part of an on-going consultation process being carried out by ABO Energy with members of the local community and other interested parties to inform the submission of a planning application for the Ballyleagry Solar Farm project.
The pre-application community consultation process for the proposed Ballyleagry Solar Farm has now closed. Our project team is reviewing all feedback received which will be taken into account when preparing the planning application for submission to the planning authority.
Please note: Any comments made to ABO Energy and/or the project team during the pre-application community consultation process are not representations to the planning authority. If a formal planning application is submitted, local advertisement and neighbour notification will take place and there will be an opportunity to make representations to the planning authority at that time.
It is intended a planning application will be submitted to Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council in Spring 2025.
In the meantime, if you would like to contact us with any questions or queries, please do so using the contact details below:
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Ballyleagry Solar Farm Belmont Titanic Suites 55-59 Adelaide Street Belfast BT2 8FE |
| ballyleagrysolarfarm@belmont.online |
ABO Energy is currently undertaking a range of environmental assessments relating to the project. This information will then be presented alongside the planning application for consideration by the planning authority and relevant statutory consultees (technical experts) to assess the potential impact of the proposal.
All considerations are site specific and are informed by detailed surveys and assessments. For the purposes of this pre-application community consultation process we have selected key topics to provide further information on – these are displayed on the project information boards available to download above.
A recent report by KPMG and RenewableNI called ‘Solar Potential: Economic Benefits for Northern Ireland’ showed the solar industry has the potential to contribute up to £426 million to the Northern Irish economy GVA over the next five years. The report outlines that the solar energy industry could support 1,800 jobs across NI by 2030.
Contributions through income tax and National Insurance are estimated to be between £57 million - £68 million over the period 2025 – 2030. The solar sector could make the potential contribution of £815 million from capital expendit
ABO Energy has assessed the local NIE Networks infrastructure to inform an indicative grid connection route for the proposed solar farm.
A grid connection application will be submitted to NIE Networks for the project in due course. NIE Networks will then define the final grid connection route and method in a grid connection offer. For this reason, the proposed grid connection that will be assessed by ABO Energy should best represent the most feasible and likely route NIE Networks would pursue, in our professional judgment.
The indicative route consists solely of underground cable from the Ballyleagry Solar Farm substation to the existing Limavady Main substation location. All works will be conducted within the public road in line with NIE Networks’ best practice requirements.
When complete the solar farm will be operational for a period of 40 years. When the project is decommissioned, all structures will be removed and the land restored.
Your feedback will be considered in detail as work progresses towards finalising our designs and collating all the relevant planning application documents.
It is intended that a full planning application will be submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in spring 2025. The Council will then process and decide the outcome of the application.
If planning permission is granted, and all other necessary consents are achieved, it is anticipated that the project will take approximately 9-12 months to construct and become operational.
Ciaran Devlin
Tel. +44 28 9099 6445
ciaran.devlin(at)aboenergy.com
Daniel McLaughlin
Tel. +44 7926 880 738
daniel(at)belmont.online
