About the Project
The repowering of Altahullion I & II Wind Farm would see the use of new, efficient turbine technology and allow the wind farm to increase its electricity generation by approximately 10MW, whilst reducing the site by 21 turbines.
With a new generating capacity of 48MW of clean, low-cost electricity, it is anticipated that the repowering proposal would have the ability to produce sufficient renewable electricity to meet the annual requirements of approximately 51,600 homes1, to support Northern Ireland’s energy security and unlock vital investment.
The repowering proposal includes removing 29 turbines, erecting 8 turbines up to 180m and replacing aging infrastructure
As part of the planning process, RES will undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The purpose of the EIA is to investigate and alleviate any potential effects of a development on the natural, physical and human environment. An EIA includes the following assessments:
- Ecology
- Ornithology
- Fisheries
- Hydrology
- Noise
- Geotechnical
- Landscape and visual
- Archaeology and cultural heritage
- Socioeconomic
What is repowering and why do it?
Many of the earliest projects in the UK and Northern Ireland, typically consented for 25 years, are now reaching the end of both their consented and operational life. Sites, like Altahullion, with its strong wind resource has significant potential to continue contributing to Northern Ireland’s energy security.
Altahullion has been operational since 2003, with the 2nd phase operational since 2007, and has been performing well for over 20 years. Repowering this site with larger but more efficient and modern turbines will allow the wind farm to generate a substantially higher amount of electricity with fewer turbines.
Without repowering, a significant portion of Northern Ireland’s installed onshore wind capacity will be lost, reducing the overall volume of clean low-cost electricity at a time when Northern Ireland needs more clean power than ever before.
1 The homes figure has been calculated by taking the predicted annual electricity generation of the site (based on RES assessments, Altahullion repower has a predicted capacity factor of 40.8% at the current design) and dividing this by the annual average electricity figures from DESNZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) showing that the annual UK average domestic household consumption is 3,323 kWh (Dec 2025)