Eirgrid has today released details of a pylon free high capacity power cable connection linking Mayo to the national grid, along local and regional roads.
Following hundreds of submissions – Eirgrid – the company behind the development has now published pylon free proposals for Grid West which would see a DC current running underground from Roscommon to Mayo with converters on either end.
The cost of going overground already comes with a price tag of €240 million – and while Eirgrid says its currently in the middle of costing for the underground proposals – previous quotes had put that cost at double and possibly triple.
Both suggestions will go before an independent panel for examination, but the government will have the final say if they're both seen as being viable.
No costing have yet been given but Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte says the country could afford to go underground if it ends up being three times the price.
While today the focus is on the Grid West project – Eirgrid is also set to unveil proposals to underground the Grid Link project in Munster too – One of its proposed routes overground would take in parts of South Tipp at Cahir, Clerihan and Carrick on Suir – which has left many people deeply unhappy
Local Fine Gael Councillor Maria Murphy has welcomed the underground proposals pointing out that Eirgrid had always claimed before that such a move wasn’t technically possible.
