Public consultation · pre-planning phase
We are inviting the local community to learn about the project, ask questions of our team, and help shape the layout before a planning application is submitted to Galway County Council in Q3 2026.
The project at a glance
At 76 MWp, the Loughrea Solar Farm will produce enough clean electricity to power around 18,000 Irish homes — every year, for decades — while continuing to allow low‑level grazing across most of the site.
Figures based on typical yields for Irish ground‑mounted solar (≈1,000 kWh per kWp installed), an average household consumption of 4,200 kWh/yr, and the SEAI 2024 grid emissions factor for displaced electricity.
Where it is
The site spans the townlands of Sraheendoo, Brackloonbeg, Ben More and Galboley in County Galway. It is a relatively flat patchwork of fields enclosed by mature hedgerows and treelines, currently used for agricultural grazing.
Access will be from the R350 and L8184, approached via the M6 and N65. Five carefully designed entrances are proposed.
Site boundary
The site boundary is shown in red on the OSI map, surrounding the townlands of Sraheendoo, Brackloonbeg, Galboley and Ben More.
Why this project
The numbers above tell a clear story. Solar projects like Loughrea are one of the fastest, cleanest and most reversible ways for Ireland to hit its climate and energy security targets — and to build local resilience along the way.
76 MWp of clean electricity, generated quietly in the Galway countryside, feeds straight into the national grid — every year, for decades.
That's the equivalent of taking around 4,500 diesel cars off Irish roads — every single year. Cleaner air for the region, and a real contribution to Ireland's 2030 climate targets.
Home‑grown renewable generation insulates Irish households and businesses from global gas price shocks, and helps meet the country's commitment to 80% renewable electricity by 2030.
Reduced stocking helps soils recover. Mature hedgerows are kept and bolstered, an Annex I Molinia meadow is protected, and a Biodiversity Enhancement Management Plan creates new habitat.
Equivalent annual emissions removed from Irish roads
Avoided greenhouse gas emissions, displacing grid generation
Enough for ~18,000 Irish homes' annual usage
Site & panels
Panels are mounted on slim steel piles driven into the ground. Rows are angled and spaced so sunlight reaches the ground, allowing vegetation to grow and low‑level grazing to continue.
Hedgerows and treelines are retained as natural screening, and the noisiest equipment (transformer / inverter stations) is located away from residential properties to preserve the quiet rural setting.
Indicative layout
The aerial overlay below shows our current indicative layout. The solar arrays (in blue) follow the existing field boundaries wherever possible — leaving hedgerows, mature trees and sensitive habitats untouched. Site entrances, the sub-station and the grid connection are labelled directly on the map.
The full picture
The boxes below summarise each assessment we are carrying out. We are deliberately publishing this in plain language at the pre‑planning stage so the community can ask questions, raise concerns and help shape the final layout.
Access via the R350 and L8184, approached from the M6 and N65. No oversized loads — panels arrive by standard HGV. A Traffic Management Plan will set haul routes, safety procedures and road-cleaning measures to keep disruption to a minimum.
A Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment is underway. The enclosed nature of the fields already screens much of the project; new hedgerows will be planted and existing ones strengthened.
Specialist modelling identifies any potential glint and glare effects along roads and at homes. Where needed, panel orientation and screening will be adjusted to remove the effect.
Panels are set back from homes and screened by hedgerows. The site is very quiet in operation.
Mature hedgerow, trees, small woodland, wet drains, peatland and Annex I Molinia meadows have all been identified and avoided in the layout. A Biodiversity Enhancement Management Plan (BEMP) will protect and improve these areas.
Generous set-backs from homes and roads, avoidance of valuable habitats, flood-risk mitigation, row spacing for vegetation, set-backs from hedgerows, drainage that mirrors existing greenfield run-off, and avoidance of registered heritage sites.
Construction
A Community Liaison Officer will work with residents throughout construction, keeping people updated and handling queries. A dedicated Traffic Management Plan will be in place.
Planning process
We are at the pre‑planning stage. That means the project is still being shaped, and the community’s questions matter. The further ahead of the application we hear from you, the more we can do with that feedback.
Terrestrial ecology, habitats, bats and badgers, flood-risk assessment and hydrology surveys are underway across the site.
Pre-planning conversations with Galway County Council, NPWS, EPA and IFI are ongoing. This website and information days are part of the public phase.
Feedback from surveys and the community is fed back into the design. The layout you see today will continue to evolve before submission.
A full planning application will be submitted to Galway County Council in the third quarter of 2026. The substation will be a separate application.
Subject to consent: 18–24 months of construction, followed by decades of clean generation. End of life — piles removed, fields reinstated.
About the developer
Loughrea Energy Ltd is the company taking the project forward. It is owned by Obton, an established international solar developer founded in 2009 with offices including in Ireland. The project is being developed in conjunction with local landowners.
Information days
We’re holding two in‑person information days at the Lough Rea Hotel & Spa in Loughrea. Each 30‑minute slot is reserved for one party (up to 4 people), so it’s a private session with the project team. Pick a day, pick a free time slot, and tell us who’s coming.
Format
30‑min private sessions
Each slot is reserved for one party of up to 4 people — just your group and the project team.
1 · Choose a day
2 · Pick a 30‑min slot
Ask a question
Use this form for general questions, observations, or anything else you would like to raise with the project team. Your message goes directly to the Community Liaison Officer.
Common questions
Don’t see your question here? Send it via the message form above or raise it in person at one of the information days.
Get in touch
Frank is your dedicated point of contact for the project — call, email or come and meet him at one of the information days. He’ll answer any questions and pass them on to the rest of the team.
For media enquiries or formal submissions in advance of the planning application, please use the message form above so we can route your enquiry to the right person.
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