Call for more high-powered electricity lines in Mayo

A Mayo councillor has queried why ESB Networks is targeting the development of 110kV (kilovolt) capacity grid lines in Mayo when over a decade ago the county was assessed to be urgently in need of high capacity 440kV electricity transmission lines.

Following a joint presentation from ESB Networks and EirGrid to Mayo County Council's Environment and Climate Change Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) last week, Cllr Peter Flynn said councillors were told 13 years ago of an "absolute need" for 440kV lines. 

"I assume that is ultimately what we are trying to target. After all, if Mayo is seen as one of the hubs that can provide renewable energy to the whole country, do we not need to have higher aspirations? We will soon be considering a variation of our Mayo County Development Plan so do we need to say in that variation that Mayo needs to be upgraded to this level?” 

Cllr Flynn noted that Mayo has the biggest windfarm in the country, adding: “And now the blades on the windmills are getting bigger, so to futureproof us, I don’t know why we are not looking for 440kV as an imperative rather than adopting a wait and see approach, given that we are the leading county as far as renewables.” 

Timothy Hurley of EirGrid affirmed that there were plans for 440kV transmission lines in the early 2010s.

"Tthat was 14 years ago as part of the Grid West 440kV Bellacorick to Flagford circuit project, which was proposed to run from outside Carrick-o- Shannon. That project was essentially cancelled because a number of the windfarms planned at the time did not go ahead. 

"But you are correct and I know there is lots of interest in further large-scale windfarms across Mayo and particularly in the North Mayo area that would trigger a need for more high voltage networks, and more than likely a 440kV charge.

“If a new large-scale windfarm for example, in North Mayo comes through the connection process and then comes to EirGrid to get assessed for a connection method, that would likely trigger a new high voltage circuit and that is the process and approach EirGrid would apply.” 

Cllr Flynn said this answer did not address the issue, which was supported by Mayo County Council Director of Services Joanne Grehan, who told the deputation: “We have been having the same conversations for over ten years in regard to the Grid West project. We know the infrastructure has aged, but Storm Éowyn has improved that. We know the critical pinch points the infrastructure faced, but the reality is, outside of Mayo, this entire region is a region in transition, because there hasn’t been sufficient investment in infrastructure to allow this region to thrive; and we know a large part of corporates are putting their own generation in place so that they are not necessarily feeding off the grid for their entire requirements.

“So, to concur with councillors, we would like to play our part. We believe there is a need for greater capacity than is being delivered. We do appreciate the plan to put a 110kV line underground and do all the works for that, but we would also like to be putting a larger capacity in when we know the demand will be there over time, as you have shown.” 

Ms Grehan concluded: “We will continue the conversation so we can enable the increase of infrastructure in this area.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.