Geotechnical Design from GDG at Cloncreen Wind Farm, Co. Offaly

Geotechnical Design from GDG at Cloncreen Wind Farm, Co. Offaly

As part of the Cloncreen Wind Farm project, Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions (GDG) is delighted to have been awarded the contract to provide geotechnical design to the consultants, Sweco – a European engineering consultancy company, specialising in consulting engineering, environmental technology and architecture.

Currently, Ireland imports about 70% of its energy requirements. This figure will grow as the gas volumes from the Corrib natural gas deposit off the northwest coast of Ireland decline, unless additional renewable and sustainable resources can be developed. The purpose of the Bord na Móna Cloncreen Wind Farm is to generate renewable electricity for the domestic electricity market in Ireland, supplying up to 55,000 homes with electricity per annum.

On 29 October 2020 it was confirmed that work has started on the 75-megawatt (MW) wind-energy development at Cloncreen. The wind farm will consist of 21 turbines and have an estimated installed capacity of approximately 63 Megawatts (MW).

GDG is undertaking the geotechnical design of access tracks, crane hardstands, wind turbine generator foundations, a met mast foundation and a substation platform, and the project is expected to take up to one year to complete.