Food and drink solar projects in Ireland
16 solar installations at Irish food and drink processors are listed here with size, installer and source. The largest is Tirlán, Ballyragget at 8 MW. The planning register holds a further 12 applications.
Which food and drink processors have installed solar?
| Site | County | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tirlán, Ballyragget2025 | Kilkenny | 8 MW | ESB Smart Energy Services | ESB |
| Dew Valley Foods, Thurles2023 | Tipperary | 7.8 MW | ESB Smart Energy Services | ESB |
| Danone, Macroomplanned | 6 MW | Not named | ||
| Arrabawn Co-op, Nenagh2024 | Tipperary | 5.8 MW | Astatine | TechBuzz Ireland |
| Dairygold, Mitchelstownplanned | 5 MW | Not named | Agriland | |
| Dale Farm, Cookstown2017 | Tyrone (NI) | 4.9 MW | CES Energy | Irish Farmers Journal |
| Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff | Cavan | 4.5 MW | Activ8 Solar Energies | Agriland |
| Bulmers (C&C Group), Clonmel2021 | Tipperary | 2 MW | Enerpower | C&C Group |
| PepsiCo, Little Island2024 | Cork | 1.6 MW | Not named | Echo Live |
| A.W. Ennis | 1 MW | Greenvolt Next | Greenvolt Next | |
| Tayto Snacks, Ashbourne2025 | Meath | 772 kW | Activ8 Solar Energies | ThinkBusiness |
| Butlers Chocolates, Clonshaugh2016 | Dublin | 420 kW | Gaelectric | Checkout |
Why does solar suit food and drink processors?
Refrigeration and processing run through the day, when panels produce most, so nearly all the output is used on site.
- Tirlán, Ballyragget: Ground array on 6.5 ha with 32 inverters at a dairy processing site; completion not independently confirmed.
- Dew Valley Foods, Thurles: All generation is used on site; ESB gave September 2023 completion while the client describes a 25-acre farm commissioned in 2024.
- Danone, Macroom: Snippet-only with no source URL: planning approved for a ground-mounted array; not confirmed as built.
- Arrabawn Co-op, Nenagh: Won by competitive tender as a turnkey project; Astatine also handles operation and maintenance.
- Dairygold, Mitchelstown: Snippet-only: planning sought for an on-site solar farm on 6.61 ha; not confirmed as built.
What costs and savings have been published?
These are the figures the business or its installer gave. They have not been audited.
- Tirlán, Ballyragget8 MW
- Share of use
- 34% of imported electricity
- Output
- about 7.6 GWh a year
Source: ESB
- Dew Valley Foods, Thurles7.8 MW
- Share of use
- up to 40% in non-winter months
Source: ESB
- Arrabawn Co-op, Nenagh5.8 MW
- Cost
- €3.5 million
- Share of use
- about 15%
- Output
- 5,400 MWh a year
Source: TechBuzz Ireland
- Dale Farm, Cookstown4.9 MW
- Share of use
- about 20%
Source: Irish Farmers Journal
- Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff4.5 MW
- Cost
- €3 million to €3.1 million
- Output
- 2.29 million kWh (with the wind turbine)
Source: Agriland
- Bulmers (C&C Group), Clonmel2 MW
- Share of use
- 10%
Source: C&C Group
Show 6 more projects
- PepsiCo, Little Island1.6 MW
- Cost
- €2.4 million
- Share of use
- over 20%
Source: Echo Live
- Tayto Snacks, Ashbourne772 kW
- Cost
- €1.17 million
- Share of use
- about 10%
- Output
- about 667 MWh a year
Source: ThinkBusiness
- Butlers Chocolates, Clonshaugh420 kW
- Share of use
- about 14% of base load
- Output
- more than 350,000 kWh a year
Source: Checkout
- Manhattan Peanuts, Finglas275 kW
- Share of use
- 40%
Source: UrbanVolt
- 9 White Deer Brewery30 kW
- Share of use
- about 36%
- Output
- 24,667 kWh a year
Source: SEAI
- Dawn Meats, Grannagh
- Cost
- €1.5 million
- Share of use
- 40%
- Output
- 1,560,000 kWh a year
- Payback
- 4.5 years depending on unit prices
Source: Checkout
What is in the planning register?
The register has 12 applications for solar at this kind of premises, and 8 were granted. The named sites are below, largest first. "Granted" is permission to build. A scheme is shown as built only where a published report says so.
| Site | County | Size applied for | Status | Planning record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mondelez (Cadbury's chocolate factory) | Dublin | 1.8 MW | Granted | 2023, ref 3878/23 |
| Mondelez (Cadbury's chocolate factory) | Dublin | 1.3 MW | Awaiting decision | 2023, ref 3477/23 |
| Western Brand Chicken | Mayo | 970 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 22733 |
| Boyne Valley Meats | Meath | 800 kW | Granted | 2025, ref 2560454 |
| Folláin Teo | Cork | 201 kW | Awaiting decision | 2017, ref 17/6399 |
| Butlers Chocolates | Dublin | 140 kW | Granted | 2020, ref 2349/20 |
| Lily O'Brien's Chocolates | Kildare | 2,453 m² | Granted | 2025, ref 2575 |
| McCloskey's Bakery | Louth | 364 panels | Built | 2018, ref 18446 |
| Morgans Fine Fish | Louth | 272 m² | Granted | 2021, ref 211087 |
Where to go next
- All commercial solar projects, across every sector
- Commercial solar panel cost by system size
- Commercial solar grants for food and drink sites