Plans for power link to Britain unveiled

THE Government has unveiled plans to build a high-voltage interconnector with Britain, it emerged yesterday.

The 240km link under the Irish Sea will be able to transmit up to 650 megawatts of power between the two islands.

National grid operator Eirgrid has asked firms to tender for the design and manufacturing of the East West Inter-connector (EWI) project.

The contract includes supplying the underwater cable and building converter stations in both countries.

The interconnector will provide another source of electricity for Ireland, which has the fastest-growing demand in the EU.

The link could drive down household electricity prices and increase competitiveness for firms by lowering energy costs.

“The growing population and the closure of some Electricity Supply Board (ESB) stations has increased fears of future blackouts due to overcapacity on the national grid,” one insider said.

Demand for electricity in the State is expected to increase by about 3% per annum up to 2010.

The EU is seeking to build more interconnectors to create a single integrated electricity market.

Studies on the EWI project began in the 1970s when the ESB first examined the possibility of linking the British and Irish electricity grids.

Further studies were conducted in the early 1990s and a joint study was recently conducted between the ESB and the British National Grid with the support of the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Government is commissioning a study of where the county will get its oil when reserves in the North Sea dry up.

Ireland is heavily dependent on oil as an energy source — its dominance increased from 46% in 1990 to 53% in 2006.

“Ireland’s consumption of oil has risen rapidly over the past decade as a result of economic growth,” said a spokesman for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

“Ireland’s oil industry is highly dependant on supplies from the North Sea.

“As North Sea reserves become depleted, oil companies importing oil into Ireland will be seeking alternative sources of supply.”