LONDON, March 31, 2026, 18:12 BST
SSE Plc and Irish partner BnM have submitted a planning application for the proposed 90-megawatt (MW), or generating-capacity, Lemanaghan Wind Farm in County Offaly, extending the British utility’s onshore push in Ireland. The project would comprise 15 turbines and sits in north-west Offaly, near Ballycumber, Ferbane and Pollagh. 1
The timing matters. Ireland wants renewables to meet 80% of electricity demand by 2030, and the government said this month installed renewable electricity capacity had reached 8 gigawatts. Grid operator EirGrid says the system still has to become stronger and more flexible to carry that much wind and solar power. 2
It lands just before SSE’s year-end update. The company is due to issue a scheduled market statement on April 2 and full-year results on May 28, after saying in February that 2025/26 adjusted earnings would come in at 144-152 pence a share, below last year’s 160.9 pence, as network upgrades weighed on profit; CFO Barry O’Regan said management was focused on “accelerating investment and delivering the plan”. 3
SSE said the Offaly wind farm could power up to 65,700 homes a year and cut more than 56,000 tonnes of emissions annually. Plans also include a new 220-kilovolt, or high-voltage, substation, and the application was filed as a strategic infrastructure development, a route that sends large projects directly to Ireland’s national planning commission rather than through a local council. 1
The company said the project footprint would cover less than 5% of the site and could support up to 120 jobs at peak construction, along with walking and cycling trails and a community fund estimated at about 8 million euros over the first 15 years of operation. Ghislain Demeuldre, head of onshore projects Ireland at SSE Renewables, said accelerating Ireland’s clean, secure and affordable renewable supply “has never been more important”. 1
Brendan Kelly, head of commercial at BnM, said the project would help displace imported fossil fuels and improve long-term affordability for customers. Lemanaghan sits inside a 50:50 SSE-BnM venture unveiled in 2024 that targets up to 800 MW of onshore wind across Ireland’s Midlands and more than 1 billion euros of potential investment over the next decade. 1
SSE has been building out that Irish pipeline. It powered up the 101-MW Yellow River wind farm in Offaly in October, making it Ireland’s newest onshore wind farm at the time. 4
The company is also trying to convince investors that a much bigger spending plan can pay off. When SSE unveiled a 33 billion pound five-year investment programme in November, Jefferies analyst Ahmed Farman said the package brought “clarity on the balance sheet and the company’s growth outlook”, while Reuters reported in February that SSE and Germany’s RWE were among the biggest winners in Britain’s latest offshore wind auction. 5
But the Offaly scheme is still some way from construction. SSE and BnM said it must win planning consent, secure a route to market and clear a final investment decision, while public documents will only go on display from April 7 to May 26. The partners said they filed a full environmental report and shaped the design after consultations with residents since 2021 and discussions with Ireland’s National Monuments Service. 1
