Four healthcare manufacturing companies in Cork lower harbour have come together to develop wind energy projects for their sites.

Janssen Biologics, DePuy, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis installed four wind turbines, each generating a maximum electrical power output of three megawatts, providing direct energy and carbon savings for their respective sites. It is estimated that each turbine will generate nine gigawatts of electrical power per annum. Each company secured planning permission for one turbine on their site, while Arup provided advice and application support. 

We providedplanning advice and stakeholder consultation for the four companies in Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group, and also prepared a planning application supported by a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement. Arup’s extensive experience in manufacturing, renewable energy and high-profile planning applications featured strongly on this project. We also dealt with the planning permission appeals to An Bord Pleanála, leading up to the final grant of planning and prepared the planning compliance submission for approval by the planning authority, and a front-end civil and electrical engineering design 

Beyond planning advice

Beyond planning advice, our advisors helped with the stakeholder consultations to decide on the optimal location for each of the turbines on these active production sites, while responding to planning permission appeals. Consulting with all relevant bodies, we prepared comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements, including a study of bird habitats, as well as the day and night flight paths of wintering birds. 

The wind turbines are in close proximity to the Special Protection Area for birds and multiple Special Areas of Conservation, part of a European network of important ecological sites called Natura 2000, which ensure that rare and threatened species are protected. Monitoring these protected species and nature conservation sites for the first three years of operation was a vital part of maintaining planning compliance. Our consultants carried out environmental assessments to track the flight paths of birds and monitor the biodiversity of the area.