Where pylons are redundant

Seamus Enright

Representatives of three local groups objecting to Eirgrid's proposed North-South Interconnector (NSI) have travelled to Belgium this week on a "fact-finding" mission to examine how a similar project of type and scale on the continent is set to be undergrounded.

Organised by Sinn Fein North-West MEP Matt Carthy, North East Pylon Pressure Campaign (NEPP) group, the County Monaghan Anti Pylon committee, and Safe Electricity for Armagh & Tyrone (SEAT), along with elected representatives and journalists have travelled to Brussels. Also set to travel are Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council Paddy McDonald.
The delegation will consider plans for the ALEGrO Interconnector, a 90km underground cable connecting Oberzier near Aachen, and Lixhe near Liège, capable of supplying about half a million households with green electricity in the future. It's estimated the ALEGrO Interconnector, which will have a transmission capacity of 1,000 MW and will cost €125 million to lay.
Elia considers undergrounding the ALEGrO connection as currently being "the best option in Europe for transmitting an HV current of such capacity and over such a distance". The connection between the converter stations comprises two cables, to be buried at depths of 1.8m along the entire route, thereby "not impacting on the landscape".
The converter station will be located on land owned by Elia at Lixhe, next to the existing substation.
The route of the underground connection mainly follows existing infrastructure: the E40 motorway, the towpath and the Brussels-Cologne high-speed rail link. As far as possible, it avoids urban areas, areas of special biological interest and Natura 2000 areas.
 

Advances

"This trip is about hearing at first hand of the technological advances that are in real time facilitating the under-grounding of projects similar to the NSI, and add to the case being made that in fact it should be undergrounded.
"It's about fact finding. Our mission here serves as a great opportunity to highlight that the only mechanism for progressing the NSI project is via underground cables. Eirgrid’s proposals to instead impose huge pylon-supported power lines across the countryside of five counties simply will not be accepted by the affected communities," MEP Carthy insisted.
By comparison, at an estimated total cost of €286m, Eirgrid plan to erect more than 400 pylons to carry their 400kV lines through counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath in the Republic, and Armagh and Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
Last month the High Court rejected a challenge by the North East group, against An Bord Pleanala’s decision to provide planning permission for Eirgrid North-South power connecting scheme.
According to Eirgrid, the NSI remains a vital piece of infrastructure which will strengthen the electricity grids both north and south of the border. The company has already proposed a compensation scheme based on a sliding scale, from €5,000 for homes located at 200 metres to €30,000 for homes located at 50 metres from the proposed pylon structures. A 'Local Community Fund' will also see Eirgrid pay €40,000 per kilometre for communities in proximity to 400kV pylons and stations.
 

Creative

As a result, Mr Carthy believes it is "entirely possible" for the NSI to be undergrounded in Ireland.
"This is what expert opinion across Europe is pointing to," says Mr Carthy. "It is what is already happening with the Aachen-Liege (ALEGrO) Interconnector between Belgium and Germany."
The local group led by Mr Carthy travelled to Brussels on Tuesday morning, visiting the headquarters of Elia, the company coordinating the building of the ALEGrO Interconnector. There the delegation received a briefing on the undergrounding technology and the cross-border nature of ALEGrO project, the first of its kind between Belgium and Germany.
Today (Wednesday), the group will be among those in attending the European Parliament, where a discussion will take place involving experts in undergrounding technology for high-voltage power lines. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the issues of the NSI with representatives of the European Commission and the Irish government’s representatives in the EU.
Mr Carthy added: "Ireland can and must start thinking more creatively when it comes to safeguarding our electricity supply for the future as well as the rights of people living in rural Ireland and indeed our tourist industry. Undergrounding the NSI is the most practical, sensible and economically sound option. I hope our work will help the campaign to achieve that outcome."

NEPPC to fight on

The High Court rejection of the challenge by the North East group against An Bord Pleanala’s decision on planning permission for Eirgrid North-South power connecting scheme is not the end of the line a local activist has said: “No matter who won the other was going to appeal. We have to consult with al the landowner now. Eirgrid have approval to build the line, but they don't have approval to go on peoples land. That is a bone of contention with us.” Padraig O'Reilly of NEPPC told the Celt.

Mr O'Reilly said that there are three legal areas NEPPC are examining and that they are also lobbying for their case: “We will be putting pressure on political parties to ensure that this is put underground.”

Eirgrid meeting

Next week (Wednesday September 13) the Eirgrid Mobile Unit will be situated in Kingscourt. Eirgrid employees Graine Duffy and John Boylan will be on hand to answer any questions people have about the company. The unit will be in the town as part of a community engagement programme undertaken by the company.

Spokesperson for Eirgrid, David Martin, said that they hope to answer the public's questions: “We are keen to make ourselves available to people who want to talk to us about projects ongoing in their area. Obviously the North South Interconnector is the biggest project we have on in the area at the moment.”

Mr Martin said the mobile unit is spending quite a bit of time in Meath, Monaghan and Cavan at the moment. The initiative is not solely about the Interconnector, but given the contentious nature it will be probably be the main source of questions by the public: “Anything people want to know about the project or anything you want to know about Eirgrid Graine and John will be delighted to answer.”