‘Something is afoot’ as Eirgrid set to address county council

Eirgrid will attend the next meeting of Cavan County Council to discuss local representatives’ concerns over its rollout plan for the controversial North South Interconnector.

Cllr Clifford Kelly had tabled his customary motion for an update on developments on the planned 400kv interconnector, which spans 138km from Meath to Tyrone, including a section through east Cavan.

Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley stated: “There is a push on at the minute to make an attempt with putting lines over the ground.”

In response, Cllr Kelly said that, by doing so, Eirgrid would be “trying to go against the will of the people.”

Meanwhile Director of Services Brendan Jennings informed the councillors he had received correspondence from Eirgrid, requesting to attend the next meeting of Cavan County Council.

He added that the company would be “meeting with all local authorities affected at one time, so obviously something is afoot”.

Cllr Kelly responded by saying the council would be “happy to talk to them”.

News of the meeting follows last month’s publication of an ‘Independent Review’ of the planned North South Interconnector, which found the only viable option for the project to proceed is using overhead pylons.

The North-South Interconnector Project Independent Experts Review, which commenced in 2021, distilled five options down to two realistic options - an underground High Voltage (400kv) DC (HVDC) interconnection and the overhead High Voltage AC (HVAC) cable.

The review concluded that undergrounding or embedding the HVDC cable would delay the project by at least five years and add approximately €120m of additional costs compared with the currently planned AC Overhead Line (OVL).