SAVE OUR COUNTRYSIDE
UNDERGROUND MAKES SENSE
The comments by Uility Regulator, Jenny Pyper, (Irish News, October 21), dismissing the option of undergrounding the North – South interconnector, are very disappointing.
SONI (formerly NIE), and their southern counterparts Eirgrid, continue to press for the use of overhead pylons, despite this technology being viewed as outdated in many countries where modern underground cable is the system of choice (becoming best practice model).
The plan to construct huge pylons from The River Blackwater to The River Boyne in County Meath has met fierce opposition, particularly as independent reports have identified underground cable as a viable alternative. Thousands of affected residents along the proposed route of the interconnector have said a resounding NO to high voltage overhead lines supported by pylons running though their communities, beside their homes and though their lands. If SONI had agreed to put the cables underground, the unprecedented opposition they have encountered would have evaporated overnight. The underground gasand water pipelines in Northern Ireland have encountered no opposition or delays during construction.
In Europe 20 major overhead electricity infrastructure projects face delay.
In light of the rapid advances in VSC HVDC underground technology, which is now both a feasible and cost effective option for the North – South interconnector, there is no reason why the entire length of cable could not be buried. SONI has not demonstrated the overriding need for this scheme in this location nor has it evaluated a number of alternatives.
We have listed below a number of major underground projects which have been completed or under consideration such as (1) 500 KM underground cable from wind farms in Northern Germany to industrial Munich area. (2) An underground cable from the hydro power schemes in Northern Sweden to Stockholm. (3) A proposal by the British Government to invest £5 billionin a 1,000 mile undersea from Iceland to UK (Sundays Times, November 1st).
The suitability of this technology has been confirmed in The International Expert Commission Report on the North – South interconnector, commissioned by The Republic’s Energy Minister, Pat Rabbitte and published on Tuesday17thJanuary2012.
This report states on page 28: “The Commission is of the opinion that the HVDC VSC option is a viable one for the Meath – Tyrone connection”. The report goes on to say that “VSCHVDC has seen significant developments over the last three years” and that: “Multiple European suppliers can today offer the technology with ratings suitable for the Meath Tyrone project”.
The Askon Report (October 9th, 2008)also showed very clearly that undergrounding these high voltage electric cables is much more environmentally friendly and economically sustainable over the lifetime of the project, but SONI (NIE) have kept their heads in the sand and refuse to listen to common sense.
Reviews by experts from the World Bank on the benefits of underground high voltage powerlines are relevant to the North-South Interconnector; they state that. High voltage DC underground transmissions have a high availability and reliability rate shown by more than 30 years of operation. Underground DC systems remain the best economically and environmentally friendly option over a transmission distance of just 60 KM.
Eirgrid has conceded that underground high voltage cables are feasible and reliable with dramatically reduced costs than the company had originally claimed. SONI/Eirgrid has direct knowledge of the construction costs of the recent East-West underground-undersea cable which was £2.2 million per KM. SONI has quoted the proposed North-South Overheard Interconnector at £2.1 million per KM. Based on the SONI/Eirgrid costs figures the construction costs of overheard and underground cables is similar, nothing the misleading figures of 5 times the costs as was quoted recently in the Northern Ireland Regulators report.
SONI have failed to provide the public with a comprehensive breakdown of costs for this proposal. Any figures which SONI have put forward have only been to highlight that the installation costs for undergrounding the line will exceed those of the overhead option. However, no account has been taken of the lifetime costs of the project. When such considerations are taken into account, it becomes clear, as The 2008 Askon Report demonstrated, that placing the cables underground is the better economic and environmental option.
In this regard, British Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, argued in a letter to The Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne, on 20th June 2011, that burying powerlines underground or underwater could be cheaper in the long term. Mr Fox said that the choice of pylons was “short termism of the worst sort”, adding that “we are making decisions that will affect our environment for the next 50 years”.
In The Republic, Eirgrid have recently admitted that the 750 pylons which they had planned to build from Kildare to Cork, will not be needed after all. They had previously argued that these pylons were essential and that no other alternative was possible. However, in the face of fierce resistance, Eirgrid have had to admit that indeed there are alternative new technologies and have scrapped their new proposed 750 pylon plan.
It makes no sense for SONI and Eirgrid to argue that pylons are the only option for the Tyrone – Meath line, when alternatives have been found for the Kildare – Cork project. The Northern Ireland public has spoken very loudly against this outdated pylon plan and will not be fooled by misleading claims that no alternatives are available.
It is especially ironic that SONI are trying to force pylons on the Northern Ireland public at a time when National Grid in England has agreed to take down a number of eyesore pylons that are ruining the UK countryside. After removing these pylons, National Grid is going to bury the powerlines underground in a scheme thataims to reverse some of the damage done by the poor planning decisions of the past.
Initiatives like this from National Grid reflect the growing concern about overhead powerlines internationally.If National Grid is willing to admit they got it wrong and are dismantling pylons, surely the penny will drop with SONI and they will agreeto bury the cable? Or are they determined to force these pylons upon us in the short term, with the inevitable consequence that they too will have to be dismantled in a few years’ time?
The proposed route for the O/H interconnector though the beautiful unspoilt Armagh and Tyrone rural countryside is just as important as the various regions in England where the pylons are being replaced by underground.