INTERCONNECTOR BATTLE LINES DRAWN!

PYLONS-BASED PROJECT WILL NEVER BE BUILT SAY COUNCILLORS; EIRGRID CITE “STATUTORY RIGHTS” AND PLAN 2023 CONTRACT AWARD

EirGrid intend to award the contract for the construction of the controversial northsouth electricity interconnector project by the end of this year, its Chief Infrastructure Officer Michael Mahon told the members of Monaghan Co Council on Monday. Mr Mahon, EirGrid Chief Executive Mark Foley and the electricity transmission operator’s Head of Public Engagement Sinead Dooley were in turn told by the local public representatives on the Council that the project will never be built if EirGrid persist with the plan to realise it through overhead pylons – the source of widespread community objections among affected areas in counties Monaghan, Meath and Cavan.

But Mr Foley was categoric that undergrounding the interconnector infrastructure – as called for by the Co Monaghan Anti Pylon Committee and the North East Pylon Pressure Group – is a non-starter. Adopting a “we would if we could but we can’t” stance on the issue, Mr Foley said that trying to put 138 kilometres of AC electricity cable underground would “break the laws of physics”.

He explained why undergrounding had been used in other major electricity developments implemented in this country and overseas, but maintained that the north-south project was a different animal. The Chief Executive was anxious to get started on the construction phase of the project now that the recent Government-commissioned review had, in his view, put the overgrounding argument to bed. “Given the importance of this project, it is essential that we progress it now without any further delay,”

Mr Foley stated. Ms Dooley indicated that the planned contract award at the end of the year would be preceded by an EirGrid information and public engagement campaign. The Co Monaghan Public Participation Network will be contacted with regard to expressions of interest to join a forum which…