Labour Party: Undersea power line should be investigated

The Labour Party in Ireland wants a possible undersea route to be investigated for a new series of power lines in the north of the country, reports have suggested.


EirGrid has a controversial plan to install overhead power lines in Meath, Cavan, Tyrone and Monaghan, and lobby groups have called for the cables to be laid underground, although this could increase the cost of the project by around ten times.

Now the Labour Party has received technical advice on the third option of going undersea, according to a report in the Sunday Business Post.

Energy spokeswoman Liz McManus is requesting an extension to an independent study to be commissioned by Energy Minister Eamon Ryan, which is due to investigate the cost implications for the underground plan.

A Labour Party submission to the study suggests that a subsea interconnector between the north and south of the island “may be feasible and deserves consideration”.

It added: “This would require the terms of reference of the independent study to incorporate this approach”.

The proposal Labour is making is for a partly underground, partly undersea option on the east coast, although there may be issues with environmentally sensitive areas.

Ben Meggeson

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