IN Brief:
- Elgin has acquired the consented Kilderry Solar Farm development in County Kilkenny from BayWa r.e. for an undisclosed sum.
- The project covers more than 45 hectares and includes a planned 38 kV substation.
- Its proposed underground connection to the Kilkenny 110 kV substation requires a separate planning application.
Elgin has acquired the 40 MWp Kilderry Solar Farm development in County Kilkenny, Ireland, from BayWa r.e., adding a consented project to its growing renewable generation portfolio. The transaction transfers ownership of a site that has secured planning permission for its solar installation and associated electrical infrastructure, although construction and the external grid connection remain outstanding.
The financial terms have not been disclosed. Elgin identified the proximity of Kilderry to other projects in its Irish portfolio as a factor behind the acquisition, which follows its purchase of the approximately 200 MW Blackhall Solar Farm development in County Meath during September. Both transactions add development capacity rather than immediately increasing the electricity available from operating generating plants.
Kilderry is located approximately one kilometre south of Johnswell village and occupies more than 45 hectares. Kilkenny County Council granted planning permission on 15 October 2024, following development work undertaken by BayWa r.e. The consent provides for a 40-year project life, after which the installation is intended to be decommissioned and the land restored.
The approved development includes a proposed 38 kV substation to collect and transform electricity from the solar installation. An underground cable is planned to connect it to the Kilkenny 110 kV substation, with that external cable route requiring a separate planning application.
The planned export cable must integrate the site’s 38 kV electrical infrastructure with the receiving network under the applicable connection conditions. Detailed design will determine the cable specification, protection coordination, metering and permitted export level.
Kilderry is specified at 40 MWp of photovoltaic capacity, alongside a separately reported 37 MW rating whose measurement basis remains unconfirmed. The 40 MWp figure describes the peak direct-current module rating; the final alternating-current export capability will depend on the installed inverters and the agreed grid connection.
Photovoltaic modules produce direct-current electricity, requiring power electronic conversion before their output can enter the alternating-current electricity system. Inverters manage that conversion, while transformers increase the voltage for collection and onward transmission. The complete electrical design must accommodate variations in solar output while operating within the protection and export limits established for the development.
Those limits can differ from the combined nominal rating of the photovoltaic modules. Inverter selection, electrical losses, network capacity and operating restrictions influence the maximum power delivered at the connection point. Elgin has not announced the final inverter configuration, transformer specification or confirmed export limit for Kilderry.
The planned 38 kV substation must also be integrated with the wider connection design. Electrical protection, control and metering systems will need to function across the generating installation and its interface with the external network. Testing and acceptance of these arrangements will be required before the solar farm is authorised to export electricity under normal operating conditions.
BayWa r.e.’s earlier development timetable anticipated construction beginning during 2026, with an estimated build period of approximately twelve months. Those dates were established before the ownership transfer. Elgin has not disclosed a revised start date, named an engineering procurement and construction contractor or confirmed when the necessary external connection works will be completed.
Development work undertaken by BayWa r.e. included securing land agreements, environmental assessment and the preparation of the planning application. The permission establishes the broad framework for construction, but subsequent equipment procurement, detailed engineering and delivery arrangements will determine the final configuration of the generating asset.
Environmental measures incorporated into the proposals include additional hedgerow planting, improved grassland management and areas of wildflowers. The development also provides for a community benefit contribution intended to support local projects. These commitments form part of the site’s wider development arrangements and will need to be addressed as the project progresses under its new owner.
BayWa r.e. previously estimated that the installation could generate electricity equivalent to the annual requirements of up to 7,400 homes. That comparison is based on anticipated generation rather than a contractual supply commitment. Actual production will depend on solar irradiation, the equipment ultimately installed, availability, electrical losses and any restrictions on export.
Elgin is expanding through a combination of acquisitions and internally developed projects, with activities covering solar generation and battery storage in Ireland, Britain and Italy. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners acquired a majority stake in the company in 2024, supporting its transition towards a larger independently owned generating portfolio.
The company’s development pipeline exceeds 10 GW, although the projects included in that total are at different stages of planning, financing and construction. The addition of Kilderry increases the portfolio of projects available for future delivery without changing its currently commissioned generating capacity.
BayWa r.e. will continue developing its remaining Irish solar portfolio, which it places at approximately 1 GW. Selling Kilderry allows the developer to realise value from planning and development work already completed, while Elgin assumes responsibility for progressing the project through its remaining investment and delivery stages.
Elgin must complete the separate export cable planning process, construct the generating installation and connection infrastructure, and bring the electrical systems through network acceptance. The consented 38 kV substation forms part of that programme, while the timing of the external 110 kV connection remains to be established.
