Planning permission given for major Ballina development
Mayo County Council has granted planning permission to Ballina Beverages (Coca-Cola Ballina) for the development of a solar farm that will produce the majority of its current electrical demand.
The development will consist of a solar PV farm on a 16.5-hectare site on lands owned by the company at Belleek, Ballina. According to the planners’ report, the project will see a reduction of 7,900 tonnes of CO2 at the facility.
The development will include solar PV panel arrays providing an output of up to 23MW on steel-supported structures with associated cabling and ducting, 42 ground-mounted inverters, three transformer substations and nine battery storage containers providing up to 16MW of battery storage. A 38kV underground cable connecting to the existing factory site is also included in the development.
Two existing derelict structures will be demolished as part of the works.
Other elements include the construction of culverts along an existing drain, a new site access as well as upgrades to an existing site entrance including the removal of existing walls and piers, resurfacing to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) standards and the installation of double security gates.
The planning permission also includes for CCTV, security fencing, temporary construction facilities and all associated ancillary development services.
The company previously stated that the proposed development would reinforce Coca-Cola Ballina’s position at the forefront of sustainability globally and would be a significant step towards its transition to 100% renewable energy.
“This investment follows Coca-Cola Ballina's recognition by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s most advanced manufacturers for its efforts to advance sustainability - it was added to the WEF Global Lighthouse Network last year,” the multinational said.
“The sustainability journey of the facility since 2020 has led to a 36% reduction in energy use while production output increased by 10%, bringing energy consumption levels back to 2006 levels.”
