Over the past two years, final planning permission has been granted for more than 400 wind turbines across Ireland,
according to research conducted by An Bord Pleanála (ABP).

The Irish Wind Energy Association estimates that there are currently 1,800 turbines operating around the country, and this figure is set to rise.

An analysis by ABP shows that permission was granted for 412 individual turbines in 2013 and 2014; these ranged from single-turbine installations to projects incorporating 24 turbines.

However, ABP suggests that “one-off and lower-voltage turbines” are less likely to be a feature of the wind sector in the future, with a move towards larger wind farms that link directly into the energy grid.

Decisions are also pending regarding some larger projects featuring more than 30 or 40 turbines, although one application for 400 turbines — lodged in December 2013 — was withdrawn last October.

Although some local groups have campaigned against wind farms and economists have queried the expected economic impact of wind energy, Ireland is on target to meet its goal of 40% of renewable electrical energy by 2020.