North South 400 Kv Interconnection Development Preliminary Re
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North South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report Part Funded by the EU TEN-E Initiative May 2011 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Detail Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8 1 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 16 1.1 Background 16 1.2 The Purpose and Scope of this Re-evaluation Process 18 1.3 Scope and Methodology of this Preliminary Re-evaluation Report 23 2 STRATEGIC NEED, RATIONALE, JUSTIFICATION FOR, AND BENEFITS OF THE INTERCONNECTION 26 DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Strategic Need and Benefits of an Additional Interconnector 26 2.2 Need for Reinforcement of the North-East Area 27 2.3 Implications of the Continuing Economic Downturn 28 2.4 Consideration of Suggestions for Delay of the New North-South Interconnector 29 2.4.1 Up-rating of the Existing 275 kV Louth-Tandragee Circuits 29 2.4.2 Up-rating of the Existing 220 kV Circuits in the North-East Corridor 30 2.5 Conclusions 30 3 TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS 31 3.1 Project Objectives / Design Criteria 31 3.2 HVDC as an Alternative to HVAC 31 3.3 Preliminary Re-evaluation of Routing the New North-South Interconnector under the Sea Rather than Over Land 32 3.4 Update on the Current ‘State-of-the-Art’ for HVAC XLPE Underground Cable and Extent of its Use by Utilities in Europe 33 3.5 Update on the Latest Reliability Statistics for HVAC UGC and OHL 34 3.6 Update on the World’s Longest HVAC XLPE Cable Circuits 35 3.7 Update on the Cost Comparison of Underground Cable and Overhead Line 38 3.7.1 Capital Costs 38 3.7.2 Life Cycle Costs 38 3.8 Consideration of a Hybrid Overhead Line / Underground Cable Option 39 3.8.1 Environmental Issues 40 3.8.2 Technical Issues 41 3.8.3 Cost Issues 42 3.8.4 Conclusions on Hybrid UGC / OHL Option for the New North – South Interconnector 43 3.9 Conclusions 43 4 IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECT STUDY AREA 44 4.1 Project Connectivity : Re-evaluation of the Points of Connection of the New North-South Interconnector to 09 May 2011 2 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report Section Detail Page the Existing Transmission System 44 4.2 Background to the Identification of the Defined Study Area 47 4.3 Description of the Study Area 49 4.3.1 The Cavan-Monaghan Study Area (CMSA) 49 4.3.2 The Meath Study Area (MSA) 51 5 IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER CONSTRAINTS WITHIN THE PROJECT STUDY 52 AREA 5.1 Background to the Identification of Constraints 52 5.11 Preliminary Re-evaluation Parameters and Considerations 53 5.2 Identification of Constraints 54 5.2.1 Natural Constraints (Naturally Occurring Landscapes and Features) 55 5.2.1.1 Ecology 55 5.2.1.2 Landscape 61 5.2.1.3 Geology 65 5.2.1.4 Water 68 5.2.2 Artificial Constraints (Forming Part of the Built Environment) 72 5.2.2.1 Settlements 72 5.2.2.2 Cultural Heritage 72 5.2.2.3 Utilities and Infrastructure 75 5.3 Conclusions 77 6 IDENTIFICATION OF FEASIBLE ROUTE CORRIDOR OPTIONS 78 6.1 Background to the Identification of Feasible Route Corridor Options 78 6.1.1 Potential Corridors in the Study Area 79 6.1.2 Preliminary Re-evaluation Parameters and Considerations 83 6.2 Environmental Overview of Potential Corridors 86 6.2.1 Ecology 86 6.2.2 Landscape 95 6.2.3 Geology 97 6.2.4 Water 98 6.2.5 Settlements 99 6.2.6 Cultural Heritage 100 6.2.7 Utilities and Infrastructure 105 6.3 Conclusions 106 7 PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF FEASIBLE ROUTE CORRIDORS 107 7.1 Background to the Identification of Assessment Criteria 107 7.1.1 Preliminary Re-evaluation Parameters and Considerations 109 7.2 Preliminary Comparative Route Corridor Evaluation 111 7.2.1 Environmental and Other Issues Considered which result in no Significant Differences between the Route Corridor Options 111 09 May 2011 3 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report Section Detail Page 7.2.1.1 Geology 112 7.2.1.2 Water 112 7.2.1.3 Settlements 113 7.2.1.4 Utilities and Infrastructure 113 7.3 Key Environmental and Other Issues 114 7.3.1 Ecology 114 7.3.2 Landscape 118 7.3.3 Cultural Heritage 120 7.4 Conclusions 122 8 PRELIMINARY INDICATIVE LINE ROUTE 124 8.1 Background to the Identification of a Preliminary Indicative Preferred Line Route 124 8.2 Summary of Preliminary Indicative Line Route 125 9 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS OF THIS PRELIMINARY RE-EVALUATION REPORT 130 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY 09 May 2011 4 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report LIST OF FIGURES Figure E1 EirGrid’s Preliminary Preferred Route Corridor Options (CMSA and MSA) and NIE’s Proposed 13 Route in Northern Ireland Figure E2 Preliminary Indicative Line Route (CMSA) 14 Figure E3 Preliminary Indicative Line Route (MSA) 15 Figure 1 Proposed North-South Interconnection Development 16 Figure 2 Re-evaluation Process and Progression towards an Application for Approval x22 Figure 3 Relevant Stages in the Scope and Methodology of the Preliminary Re-evaluation Report 25 Figure 4 The Cavan-Monaghan Study Area (CMSA) 50 Figure 5 The Meath-Study Area (MSA) 51 Figure 6 Route Corridor Options (CMSA) taken from the 2007 Route Constraints Report 80 Figure 7 Route Corridor Options (MSA) taken from the 2007 Route Constraints Report 82 Figure 8 Route Corridor Options for the CMSA (Amended) 84 Figure 9 Route Corridor Options for the MSA (Amended) 85 Figure 10 Preliminary Indicative Line Route (CMSA) 126 Figure 11 Preliminary Indicative Line Route (MSA) 129 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photo Title Page Photo 1 Example of a 400 kV Underground Cable to Overhead Line Transition Station 41 09 May 2011 5 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report LIST OF TABLES Table Title Page Table 1 Designated Sites (CMSA) 56 Table 2 Wintering Bird Sites (CMSA) 57-58 Table 3 Designated and Proposed Designated Sites within the Study Area and 5 km of the Study Area 59 (MSA) Table 4 Wintering Bird Sites in the Study Area (MSA) 60 Table 5 Areas of Primary and Secondary Amenity (CMSA) 61 Table 6 Views from Scenic Routes (CMSA) 62 Table 7 Sites of Geological Interest (CMSA) 65-66 Table 8 Sites of Geological Interest (MSA) 66-67 Table 9 Major Rivers and Lakes (CMSA) 69 Table 10 Major Rivers and Lakes (MSA) 71 Table 11 Summary of Known Archaeological and Architectural Sites (CMSA) 73 Table 12 Summary of Known Archaeological and Architectural Sites (MSA) 74 Table 13 Summary of Noteworthy Areas (Habitats) Crossed by Each Route Corridor Option (CMSA) 87 Table 14 Whooper Swan Sites in Vicinity of Each Route Corridor Option and Evaluation of Significance 89-90 (CMSA) Table 15 Summary of Noteworthy Areas (Habitats) Crossed by each Route Corridor Option (MSA) 915 Table 16 Whooper Swan Sites in Vicinity of Each Route Corridor Option and Evaluation of Significance 93-94 (MSA) Estimated Indicative Population (CMSA) Table 17 100 Estimated Indicative Population (MSA) Table 18 100 Potential for Direct Impacts on Cultural Heritage Sites (CMSA) Table 19 101 Potential for Indirect Impacts on Cultural Heritage Sites (CMSA) Table 20 102 Table 21 Potential for Direct Impacts on Cultural Heritage Sites) (MSA) 103 Table 22 Potential for Indirect Impacts on Cultural Heritage Sites) (MSA) 105 Table 23 Evaluation Criteria (extracted from the RPS Route Constraints Corridor Evaluation Report (March 108 2009)) Table 24 Re-evaluation Criteria 110 Table 25 Length of Route 115 09 May 2011 6 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report APPENDICES APPENDIX A – MAPS RELATING TO THE CMSA Map 1 (CMSA) Constraints within the Cavan-Monaghan Study Area (CMSA) Map 2 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Ecological Constraints of the area Map 3 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Landscape Constraints of the area Map 4 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Geology Constraints of the area Map 5 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Water Constraints of the area Map 6 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Settlement Constraints and Population Densities of the area Map 7 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Cultural Heritage Constraints of the area Map 8 (CMSA) Route Corridor Options for the CMSA with the Utilities and Infrastructure Constraints of the area Map 9 (CMSA) Preliminary Indicative Line Route (CMSA) APPENDIX B - MAPS RELATING TO THE MSA Map 1 (MSA) Constraints within the Meath Study Area (MSA) Map 2 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Ecological Constraints of the area Map 3 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Landscape Constraints of the area Map 4 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Geology Constraints of the area Map 5 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Water Constraints of the area Map 6 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Settlement Constraints and Population Densities of the area Map 7 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Cultural Heritage Constraints of the area Map 8 (MSA) Route Corridor Options for the MSA with the Utilities and Infrastructure Constraints of the area Map 9 (MSA) Preliminary Indicative Line Route (MSA) 09 May 2011 7 North-South 400 kV Interconnection Development Preliminary Re-evaluation Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EirGrid plc (formerly ESB National Grid) is engaging in a comprehensive re-evaluation of its previous application to An Bord Pleanála for approval of the Meath-Tyrone 400 kV Interconnection Development, being that portion of the overall North-South Interconnector Project occurring within the Republic of Ireland.