Timeline revealed for major works in Ballina
EirGrid says the project will have enormously positive benefits for the West of Ireland.
Construction on the Mayo section of the new 59km North Connacht 110kV underground cable between the Moy substation in Ballina and Tonroe substation in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, will commence next January, with completion expected by 2028.
In a presentation to members of Ballina Municipal District last week, Eoin Brockert and Eoghan O’Sullivan from EirGrid said the new cable will deliver a full gigawatt of energy onto the electricity grid, which will be enough to power 150,000 homes and ultimately open major new economic growth opportunities in the region.
Thanking Mayo County Council for their cooperation to date, while revealing the good news that construction on the Mayo section will commence in January, the EirGrid representatives also revealed that a €1.5m community fund attached to the project over three years will soon open to groups to seek funding for local projects, with details of the application process to follow shortly. The new cable is being installed to provide increased electricity capacity to meet rising demand, and in turn to support renewable energy consumption, in line with the government’s Climate Action Plan for 80% of electricity to come from renewables.
The project will include a new 110kV underground electricity cable from the Moy substation in Ballina to Tonroe substation in Co Roscommon; upgrade and extension work to the Moy and Tonroe substations; and an upgrade of the existing 110kV overhead line between the Tonroe and Flagford substations in Roscommon.
Councillors were advised that a lot of work has already taken place on the Roscommon part of the project, especially with residents in Kilcolman Estate in Ballaghaderreen, whose traffic calming concerns were met through measures such as the inclusion of a number of speed ramps. Advanced ducting of approximately 900 linear meters was also carried out in Swinford.
Councillors paid tribute to EirGrid for engaging so well with impacted residents in Co Roscommon, saying the same would be required with the community in Mayo. They also expressed delight at the potential growth to the local economy that will arise once the new electricity capacity is added and said they looked forward to hearing the details of how the community fund will operate.
Area Engineer Orla Bourke added that there will be “big disruptions" in Ballina when work commences and advised that there has already been “ongoing discussions with quarry operators and people who will be affected most along the route".
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
