EirGrid to build €500m power line between Leinster and Munster

North Cork

http://www.eirgrid.com/media/Grid%20Link%20Launch%20Press%20Release%20FINAL.pdf

www.eirgridprojects.com/gridlink

MAJOR NEW ELECTRICITY POWER LINK FOR LEINSTER & MUNSTER TO ENSURE A SECURE AND RELIABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE & CLEAN ENERGY PUBLIC CONSULTATION OPENS TODAY
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Public consultation starts today on the Grid Link Project, an estimated €500 million project planned by EirGrid to upgrade the electricity grid that will deliver a wide range of benefits to the national and regional economies. The development will involve the construction of a new power line linking Leinster and Munster. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Launching the Grid Link Project in Cork today Mr. Pat Rabbitte, T.D., Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, said it will provide a secure, long-term electricity supply for homes and businesses across the south and east of the country. He said: "The Grid Link Project will reinforce the electricity grid and have direct economic benefits for our local communities. I encourage people to engage in the public consultation and provide feedback to EirGrid." EirGrid carried out a detailed analysis of the national transmission grid to identify the level of reinforcement required to ensure a secure electricity supply and to enable the country achieve its renewable energy targets. This analysis identified a capacity shortfall in the south and east of the country. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Dermot Byrne, chief executive of EirGrid, said: "This is a vital development strengthening the electricity grid across the south and east of the country that will help empower economic growth and enable Ireland to meet its renewable energy targets. "The project will help enable Ireland to shift from a heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels to more sustainable sources of energy. It will also help ensure that the most efficient electricity generators in the south and east are utilised in the most effective way," he added. Seán Murphy, head of policy & communications at Chambers Ireland, said: "EirGrid’s initiative to reinforce the grid in the south and east of the country will ensure that the area is well positioned to deal with future growth in energy demand in the medium term. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]A robust and future-proofed energy infrastructure is a vital prerequisite for new industries that may be attracted to locate in the region. The Grid Link Project is a significant opportunity that will underpin the attractiveness of the area. It will also assure electricity availability for existing homes, farms and businesses while underpinning the development of the renewable energy sector. This in turn will create new job opportunities. For these reasons, we welcome EirGrid’s plans." [/FONT][/FONT]
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EirGrid has established a dedicated project team that has identified a proposed study area within which the project will be located. The project team will undertake detailed studies and extensive public consultation over the coming years to determine constraints that will influence the siting and route selection.

The initial proposed project study area, spanning counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow, is now the subject of non-statutory public consultation.

This first stage of consultation will run for an eight-week period from today, Thursday 12[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]th [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]April 2012 to Friday 8[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]th [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]June 2012. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]For more information visit www.eirgridprojects.com/gridlink "During this first stage of public consultation, EirGrid is seeking comment on the proposed study area map, feedback on what constraints should be identified and on how EirGrid should develop corridors for the project," said John Lowry, the Grid Link Project manager. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]"This is a non-statutory consultation that will provide all interested individuals and organisations an opportunity to feed into the early development of the project." Based on assessments to date, EirGrid has determined that the optimum solution is the construction of a 400 kV alternating current (AC) overhead line linking Cork and Kildare via Wexford.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial] EirGrid will review its technology analysis at key stages throughout the project to ensure it remains valid. EirGrid has established a comprehensive information service to inform people about the project, answer their questions, provide access to maps and technical documentation and hear their views. Information offices will open in New Ross, Carlow, Carrick-on-Suir and Midleton from next Monday, 16[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]th [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]April. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]A lo-call information line, 1890-422 122, is operated during office hours and public open days will be held in May. People may also email the project to gridlink@eirgrid.com. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]The Grid Link Project is a key element of EirGrid’s Grid25 strategy - a €3.2 billion investment in developing and upgrading Ireland’s electricity transmission grid. ENDS
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ManAboutCouch

Here's the study area for the project:

lotusm

anything about connecting Connacht with another province ... silly me... for a minute there I thought it was on equal footing with the rest of the country :eek:

antoobrien

lotusm wrote: »

anything about connecting Connacht with another province ... silly me... for a minute there I thought it was on equal footing with the rest of the country :eek:

Don't worry when our time comes there'll be raised bogs with bog cotton and snails in the way of any such improvement.

Edit: Actually they have plans for West Galway already.

pljudge321

lotusm wrote: »

anything about connecting Connacht with another province ... silly me... for a minute there I thought it was on equal footing with the rest of the country :eek:

There's around 1.6 GW of dispatchable power stations in Cork and around 0.4 GW in Connacht.

paddy145

pljudge321 wrote: »

There's around 1.6 GW of dispatchable power stations in Cork and around 0.4 GW in Connacht.

Which is why Connacht needs connecting

Aidan1

around 0.4 GW in Connacht.

That much? Since Bellacorrick closed I thought there was no thermal generation west of the Shannon?

Which is why Connacht needs connecting

The plans for the west of Ireland are in the Grid 2020 Strategy, including a 440kv link to Mayo. That'll be fun to get planning for.

antoobrien

Aidan1 wrote: »

That much? Since Bellacorrick closed I thought there was no thermal generation west of the Shannon?

The plans for the west of Ireland are in the Grid 2020 Strategy, including a 440kv link to Mayo. That'll be fun to get planning for.

Apart from Tynagh there are several wind farms in Galway alone.

Aidan1

Wind farms aren't dispatchable, but yeah, I'd completely forgotten that Tynagh was in Co Galway.

antoobrien

Aidan1 wrote: »

Wind farms aren't dispatchable, but yeah, I'd completely forgotten that Tynagh was in Co Galway.

Eirgrid wind generation stats

Sponge Bob

They are planning 2 110kv lines into Connemara, shame they never mentioned the second in that consultation. Oh Well

They dug in the underground 110kv ducting in Knocknacarra over the winter.

pljudge321

antoobrien wrote: »

Eirgrid wind generation stats

He's right, they aren't.

Aidan1

They do have priority dispatch though, which might be confusing Anto.

dubhthach

Aidan1 wrote: »

The plans for the west of Ireland are in the Grid 2020 Strategy, including a 440kv link to Mayo. That'll be fun to get planning for.

That ties in with plans for building data centers in the west of Ireland linked to the proposed landing of a trans-atlantic cable up in Mayo.

Sponge Bob

Oh God no, the 440kv was entirely connected to future demand as forecast in Grid 2025 and with more than 1000kw of wind wave and tidal (may not tidal) to be shipped OUT of Mayo by then.

1000Kw of Moneypoint despatched to Dublin was what led to the construction of the existing 440kv lines from there across the Midlands to Dublin.

If anything the data centres in Dublin today are what is leading to the new project, Dublin could run out of lekky once Ringsend becomes obsolete later this decade.

It is quite long winded to get a connection there for a new data centre right now.

ardmacha

It is quite long winded to get a connection there for a new data centre right now.

Is it not easier to lay fibre optic than 440Kv trunks? So put the data centres in Cork or Moneypoint or wherever.

Sponge Bob

No dark fibre in Moneypoint or for that matter in Cork.

pljudge321

Sponge Bob wrote: »

If anything the data centres in Dublin today are what is leading to the new project, Dublin could run out of lekky once Ringsend becomes obsolete later this decade.

Do you mean the power station? Because that has another 20 years or so at least left in it.

dubhthach

Sponge Bob wrote: »

It is quite long winded to get a connection there for a new data centre right now.

And that's leaving out bureaucratic feet dragging that almost saw Google cancel datacenter project in South County Dublin (they were thinking of moving it to Sweden instead)

http://www.datacentres.com/news/google-dublin-data-centre-almost-never-happened

Sponge Bob

pljudge321 wrote: »

Do you mean the power station? Because that has another 20 years or so at least left in it.

Dunno about 20. It would make it to 20 and a total age of 47 years but at what cost??

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1995/03/07/00112.asp

Design life reached in 2015

pljudge321

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Dunno about 20. It would make it to 20 and a total age of 47 years but at what cost??

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1995/03/07/00112.asp

Design life reached in 2015

Thats the old thermal plant, which was decommissioned nearly two years ago. The last part of the CCGT plant was only commissioned in 2001.

Edit: Also that oireachtas answer is about moneypoint.

starch4ser

Cork carrying the rest of the country as usual

Wild Bill

starch4ser wrote: »

Cork carrying the rest of the country as usual

Cork should feel honoured to be supplying Dublin with power. After all, we could just as easily get it from Wales :cool:

starch4ser

I think Cork should refuse to supply power to the Leinster area and just let the lights go out. With a bit of luck, you'll all then pack up and **** off to Wales. :pac: