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Public consultation for a €30 million plan to place
seven 118m wind turbines along the entrance to Cork
Harbour will begin this week.
The turbines would provide a renewable energy source
for four major healthcare manufacturing companies -
Centocor, DePuy, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis - based
at the pharmaceutical hub of Ringaskiddy, some 18km
southeast of Cork city.
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The four companies are planning to build the turbines on
each of their four sites, dotted around the Ringaskiddy peninsula.
The proposed renewable energy project, announced last week,
would reduce operations costs for all four companies. The
aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of each of the four
sites by up to 30 per cent, or up to 22,000 tonnes of CO2
per year.
The firms have formed an umbrella group - the Cork Lower
Harbour Energy Group - for the purpose of applying for planning
permission for the turbines. An environmental impact statement
is due to be completed by the end of the year, together with
the planning application.
If a planning decision comes through by next spring, construction
could begin late next year, though that timeline is a best-case
scenario, said a spokeswoman.
The turbines, of which there would likely be two each on
three sites and one on the fourth, would transform the skyline
of Cork Harbour. The body of the turbines would stand at 78m,
with the blade height reaching a further 40m into the sky.
The high cost of electricity in the State was cited as one
reason behind the drive to introduce wind energy. The group
claims the project represents the latest initiative by the
four companies to cut energy costs.
Finbar Whyte, managing director of GlaxoSmithKline, said
the group plans to engage fully with the local community during
the planning process. “We will be communicating with all interested
parties to ensure that people are as informed as possible
about this project,” he said.
IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O’Leary said increased
energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy supplies
to enhance operational competitiveness were critical elements
of the recently published IDA strategy document, Horizon
2020 (Click
Here ).
A Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment spokesman
welcomed the proposal as a clean energy form and a move away
from dependency on oil.
The plans will be on display at the National Maritime College,
Ringaskiddy, on August 31st (4pm - 6pm) and on September 1st
(7pm - 9pm). Evening information sessions will be held in
the Commodore Hotel, Cobh, on August 31st (7pm - 9pm) and
on September 1st (4pm - 6pm).
Source - The Irish Times
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