Fingal to East Meath Grid Reinforcement Project- Step 3 Consultation

Dúnta8 D.F., 2024, 08:00 - 8 Sam, 2024, 17:00

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Who is EirGrid and What Do We Do?

EirGrid is a state-owned company that develops, manages, and operates Ireland’s electricity grid. We are responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable supply of Ireland’s electricity, bringing power from where it is generated to the distribution network that supplies the electricity we use every day in homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

EirGrid is responsible for leading the secure transition of the electricity grid to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

We are responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable supply of Ireland’s electricity.

What is the Fingal to East Meath Grid Reinforcement Project?

East Meath and Fingal are among the fastest growing areas in the country (as per Census 2022), and with this growth comes a greater requirement for electricity. EirGrid is planning new infrastructure to meet this need, so that
electricity supply can be adequately future proofed.

The Fingal to East Meath Grid Reinforcement is a proposed project to accommodate the continued growth in electricity demand in the region, which is being driven by several sectors. This includes:

  • residential housing;
  • commercial and industrial development;
  • the electrification of heat and transportation; and
  • the integration of offshore renewable energy connections.

The existing electricity infrastructure is at risk of reaching its capacity limit. To address this need, new infrastructure is required to ensure a reliable, sustainable electricity supply to communities, residents, schools and businesses in the area.

Key to this project is the development of a new transmission interface substation and associated connecting circuits in the vicinity of North Dublin which will connect to a substation in East Meath. This project is a critical addition to the electricity network, providing connectivity to the proposed CP1021 East Meath-North Dublin 400 kV underground cable and the East Meath 220 kV substation. The primary function of this substation is to facilitate power flows between the transmission and distribution systems to enable power to be distributed to where it is needed.

The transmission system can be seen as comparable to the motorway and national road network. Whereby, motorways and dual carriageways allow for movement of lots of vehicles; the electricity transmission system allows for power to be transferred most efficiently across regions.

When exiting a motorway or dual carriageway it is onto a roundabout, and from there a network of smaller and more local roads. In this way a transmission interface substation can be seen as analagous to a roundabout where the power is made available for use in the local area by connecting to the distribution system.

 

Project Benefits

This grid reinforcement will create opportunities by providing additional capacity to supply electricity to areas where it is needed in the future which will enable businesses, schools, hospitals, homes and farms to prosper and grow, and will also create opportunities for facilitating renewable generation.

What is happening now?

The development of this project follows EirGrid’s 6-Step approach to Grid Development (see below) which sets out the steps to be taken to identify and implement the best performing solution that meets the needs outlined.

EirGrid’s Framework for Grid Development is a 6-step process for all EirGrid’s grid development projects, from their conception i.e., identification of a need to develop the electricity transmission grid through to their eventual construction and subsequent energisation.

The graphic below provides an overview of the 6 steps of the Framework Grid Development. The Fingal to East Meath Grid Reinforcement Project is currently in Step 3. The objective of Step 3 is to identify a best performing technology solution and associated study area, to meet the identified need from the shortlist of options identified previously in Step 1 and Step 2.

Substation zones under consideration?

EirGrid identified five larger sub-study areas, at the outset, and from these it was determined that two zones were most suitable. These two sub-study areas were selected for further evaluation based on land suitability and connectivity to key infrastructure.

Five substation zones were then identified within the two preferred sub-study areas, following EirGrid’s Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Guidelines, scoring sub criteria to evaluate risks and determine overall performance for each option. This allowed for a more detailed assessment of suitable sites for the technology options being considered.

You can view the five substation zones under consideration in the map below:

Substation technologies under consideration 

The following two substation technologies have been considered:

  • Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) Substation; and
  • Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) Substation.

Both technologies have distinct characteristics making them suitable for different scenarios based on land availability, future connection requirements, and regulatory compliance, as summarised in the table below:

List of options considered at Step 3

All five substation zones can support either Air Insulated Substations (AIS) or Gas Insulated Substations (GIS). This means there are ten options to review and discuss in Step 3:

 

Next steps for the Fingal to East Meath Grid Reinforcement Project

Once potential substation zones and sites have been identified for the Fingal 400 kV substation, a further assessment will narrow them down to two-three sites. Subsequently, assessments on connecting circuits will be conducted, including proposed connecting circuits and technologies and potential corridors/routes.

These options will undergo a detailed Multi-Criteria Assessment to identify the Emerging Best Option, which will then be subject to public consultation in Step 4.

 

 

Further information

If you have any queries, please contact:

Grainne Duffy
Community Liaison Officer
085 887 4798
Grainne.Duffy@eirgrid.com

 

Ceisteanna

C1. Please provide any comments you may have on the five substation zones being considered (Zones 1-5 presented in this consultation)
C2. Please provide any comments you may have on the two substation technology options being considered: 1) Air-Insulated Switch Gear and 2) Gas-Insulated Switch Gear:
C3. Please provide any comments you may have relating to the substation zones and/or study area illustrated in the map below such as environmental and biodiversity constraints/ cultural and/or heritage considerations:
C4. Which substation technology is your preference?
C5. Which zone is your preference and why?
C6. Please provide any further comments you may have in relation to this project.
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