[Article] EirGrid - interconnector go-ahead approved

mike65 · 15-09-2009 1:32pm #1

ABB Will Construct Electricity Interconnector Between Wales and Ireland
Posted on: September 15th, 2009 by Justin Becks

EirGrid, a state-owned grid operator, was granted permission today to build a proposed 500 MW electricity interconnector which will run between Ireland and Wales. Permission was granted by the Bord Pleanála and ABB, a Swedish engineering firm, will begin constructing the East-West cable line in 2010. ABB has said the project is expected to take two years to finish and construction and installation of the interconnector will create 100 new jobs.

When completed, in 2012, the interconnector will allow electricity to flow both ways transmitting power between Wales and Ireland. Additionally the new electricity link will enable Ireland to export the renewable energy it has been generating.

To be named the East-West Interconnector, the link will be 260km long and will have a capacity of 500 MW of electricity at a time. The capacity is enough to power 300,000 homes which is roughly the equivalent of 10pc of peak day to day electricity needs during the winter months in Ireland.

In order to create the interconnector, project coordinator ABB, must first construct a converter station. The convertor station is scheduled to be built in Woodland, Co Meath, and on site the company will install underground cables mostly under public roadways, running along the coastline to Rush, Co Dublin. Those cables will be 45km long and run into the seabed.

Sponge Bob · 15-09-2009 3:05pm

OK , so we have a docking point for Spirit of Ireland to aim their own HVDC cables at or else they can co lo from Tyrone

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2008/11/19/33356

EirGrid has applied for permission to construct its east-west interconnector linking Ireland and Britain. The project falls under the category of the Strategic Infrastructure Development Scheme (SIDS) and the application was made to An Bord Pleanala on Tuesday.

The development proposed will consist of a subsea cable beneath the Irish seabed to an underground transition joint at North Beach, Rush, Co Dublin, consisting of two power cables installed at a depth of 1.5 metres to three metres within a route corridor 50 metres wide.

Underground electric HVDC cables are to be installed between North Beach and a new converter station to be located adjacent to the existing ESB 400kV station at Woodland, Batterstown.

The underground cable length from Rush to Batterstown will be 44.2 kilometres in length and consist of two power cables installed in ducts laid in a trench 1.2 metres deep and one metre wide, as well as a third fibre optic cable duct. Each joint pit will be up to three metres wide, 15 metres long and two metres deep.

The proposed route corridor in Meath will take in Rath, Cookstown, Hammondtown, Crickstown, Kilbrew, Loughlinstown, Bodeen, Cabin Hill, Flemington, Twenty Park, Lagore Little, Brownstown, Ballymore, Bradystown, Elgarstown, Corkeen, Commons, Wilkinstown, Powderlough, Raynestown, Rathregan, Portan, Ribstown, and Woodland, Batterstown.

Submissions can be made to An Bord Pleanala on the project, which will link up with the controversial Meath to Tyrone 400kV power line proposal, a route corridor for which has yet to be chosen by EirGrid.

Carawaystick · 15-09-2009 3:08pm

page 3 of the nontechnical summary has a map that's missing a few things.....
http://www.eirgrideastwestinterconnector.ie/Ireland%20Land%20ER%20Non%20Technical%20Summary.pdf

and the main site is here
http://www.eirgrideastwestinterconnector.ie

Sponge Bob · 15-09-2009 4:31pm

Lot of stuff there so I will ask instead

Is this the first bidirectional interconnector ??

Carawaystick · 12-08-2010 12:22am

Took a few pics of the works in Rush earlier

As far as I know the Moyle Interconnector is physically capable of bidirectional use but contractually obliged to only be used one way.

240 & 241 are the seaward end of te cable, 239 is a concrete cover

Carawaystick · 12-08-2010 12:26am

and a few more

237 are the landward end of the cable, showing the pair of conductor connections
236 shows a line of posts marking the handy route not taken across the estuary

I'll try get more shots of the route inland next weekend with my camera

Carawaystick · 21-09-2012 2:19pm

So this is built and instead of reducing prices, it will increase prices for electricity.

CER ( those wonderful people who gave bord gais a price hike of 8.5% when BG asked fro 7.5%) have some blurb on explaining that eirgrid can't charge for the energy transported through the interconnector ; so everyone else will have to pay for it. :mad:

25-09-2012 1:45pm

I always thought that the interconnector was for load balancing rather than competition.
Nuclear one way, wind the other!

Heroditas · 25-09-2012 5:55pm

dolanbaker wrote: »

I always thought that the interconnector was for load balancing rather than competition.
Nuclear one way, wind the other!

It's there for security of supply in the event of a number of the generating fleet here going offline.
We have a large generation surplus here. Factor in the cost of using the interconnector and currency differences and you'll find that the interconnector becomes relatively uncompetitive.

Ben D Bus · 25-09-2012 6:34pm

If we have a generation surplus could we concievably be reading news articles about Irish generators selling electricity to the UK at a lower rate than they sell it in Ireland?

Heroditas · 25-09-2012 7:12pm

Ben D Bus wrote: »

If we have a generation surplus could we concievably be reading news articles about Irish generators selling electricity to the UK at a lower rate than they sell it in Ireland?

The markets are set up very differently in GB and Ireland/NI.
However, it is entirely possible (in theory) that the "pool" could generate a surplus to sell to the UK.
However, that would mean bringing more inefficient plant on line, thus raising the price here.
If it means "exporting" renewable power, under the current market setup, we could conceivably end up subsidising power to the UK.
It's a relatively complex issue though and I always zone out when I hear the guff about "exporting surplus" electricity. It's all sound bites and PR.

Capt'n Midnight · 26-09-2012 12:25am

Ben D Bus wrote: »

If we have a generation surplus could we concievably be reading news articles about Irish generators selling electricity to the UK at a lower rate than they sell it in Ireland?

Of course.

Aren't taxes on exports lower ?

Also here you have a captive market. There it's pure profit.

Anyway they will just be selling the surplus - unless they get up to Enron shennagins where power was exported and then reimported at a higher price.

Ben D Bus · 26-09-2012 12:56am

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Of course.

Aren't taxes on exports lower ?

Also here you have a captive market. There it's pure profit.

Anyway they will just be selling the surplus - unless they get up to Enron shennagins where power was exported and then reimported at a higher price.

Oh, I agree. It's specifically the news articles - and the reaction to them - I'm looking forward to.

[Article] EirGrid - interconnector go-ahead approved

Comments