Wind-farm developer secures injunction against winding-up petition

A wind-farm developer operating in County Sligo has obtained a temporary High Court injunction preventing a quarrying company from pursuing a winding-up petition against it. Ms Justice Caroline Costello granted an interim order on Wednesday restraining Hillstreet Quarries Ltd from presenting or advertising a petition to have Derrysallagh Windfarm Ltd wound up over an alleged debt of €80,000. The dispute concerns storage fees for cable drums valued at €500,000, which were placed at Hillstreet's site between February and November 2017 for use in the wind-farm development at Glen, Knockroe, Derrysallagh and Rover. Derrysallagh's counsel argued the storage responsibility lay with a civil engineering contractor hired to carry out works on the project, which has since entered examinership. The developer contends it does not owe payment for storage. The judge noted that winding-up petitions should not be used as debt-collection mechanisms and that the debt is genuinely disputed. The matter was adjourned for one week.