3rd December 2019.
Exhibitions in Co Wexford will commence next Tuesday, 10 December
Opportunity to comment on the draft onshore planning documents including the Environmental Impact Assessment
As part of the continuing public consultation on the proposed Greenlink Interconnector, which will connect the electricity grids of Great Britain and Ireland, details have been announced of a fourth round of public exhibitions in Co Wexford, Ireland, next week (10 - 12 December), as follows:
Ramsgrange: Tuesday 10 December Parochial Hall, Ramsgrange Y34 YP70 4pm to 8pm
Duncannon: Wednesday 11 December The Fort Conan Hotel, Duncannon Y34 A522 4pm to 8pm
Fethard on Sea: Thursday 12 December St Mary’s Hall, Fethard on Sea Y34 HH58 1pm to 6.30pm
Greenlink [1] is one of Europe’s most important energy infrastructure projects. The electricity interconnector brings benefits on both sides of the Irish Sea for energy security, jobs and the cost-effective integration of low carbon energy. The privately-financed project is being developed by Greenlink Interconnector Limited and is planned for commissioning in 2023.
In Co Wexford, the interconnector comprises a subsea cable intended to come ashore under the beach at Baginbun Beach and continuing underground to a new converter station located near to the existing Great Island substation. The project is expected to have a three-year construction programme, offering local supply chain opportunities.
The exhibition will present the latest news and documents on the project. The Foreshore Licence Application, submitted to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) on 13 November and currently the subject of a formal public consultation, will be available to view. Stakeholders are invited to comment to DHPLG by 8 January 2020 [2].
The Greenlink team will also be presenting the draft planning application documents for the onshore components of the project, including the draft Environmental Impact Assessment, ahead of submission of the onshore planning application to An Bord Pleanála in early 2020.
Rónán O'Hogartaigh, development consultant for Greenlink in Ireland, commented;
“The exhibitions are an important way for us to continue to seek the views of local residents and organisations on the latest plans for Greenlink. We are looking forward to providing an update on the design and development of the project and would like to incorporate any further ideas and feedback into the onshore planning application due to be submitted in early 2020.
We want to ensure the project is of the highest environmental and technical standard, fully considers ways to deliver the project to the benefit of the local community and minimises any impacts. This includes at Baginbun Beach where there will be no requirement for construction work on the beach itself. As we have confirmed in the recent Foreshore Licence application, we propose to install the cable underneath the beach using Horizontal Directional Drilling, thus minimizing impacts on the environment and beach users, and we will do this away from the summer months.
We encourage everyone with an interest in Greenlink to come along to the exhibitions and meet the team - whether they are a resident along the cable route, an interested organisation or a local business wishing to be involved during the construction period. Greenlink has the potential to bring significant regional investment and we want to optimise the benefits for the area.”
ENDS
CONTACTS FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Anna Stanford, Communications Consultant:
M: +44 7961 234634 Anna.Stanford@greenlink.ie
Notes to Editors:
Greenlink is a proposed interconnector linking the power markets in Ireland and Great Britain. The project comprises a subsea and underground cable and associated converter stations to connect EirGrid’s Great Island transmission substation in County Wexford (Ireland) and National Grid’s Pembroke transmission substation in Pembrokeshire (Wales). It has a nominal capacity of 500MW. The project is being developed by Greenlink Interconnector Limited and is expected to be fully operational in 2023. More details at: www.greenlink.ie @Greenlink_IC
Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments to the Department for Housing, Planning and Local Government ahead of the 8 January 2020 deadline: https://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/foreshore/applications/greenlink-interconnector-wexford. Submit written comments to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government at Foreshore Unit, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Newtown Road, Wexford, Co. Wexford or by e-mail to foreshore@housing.gov.ie quoting ref: FS007050.