Alternatives to Pylons Donegal prepares to battle the ESB once more

donegal | environment | press release

Tuesday July 26, 2005 00:57

by Searc - Alternatives to Pylons Donegal

info at dun-na-ngall dot com

Donegal

ESB attempt to Erase Scenic Beauty in Donegal - they failed in 2002 and local opposition is again mounting to the ESB's proposals

No Pylons

Alternatives to Pylons Donegal and Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair

Press Release 25/7/05

Alternatives to Pylons Donegal (ATP) and Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair would like to respond to the ESB’s full page advertisements published recently in the local papers which propose erecting 110kv pylons through south and west Donegal.

In their self-promotion the ESB say that they have consulted with interested groups in Donegal – which interested groups have they met with? No meetings have taken place between the ESB and any environmental protection group in Donegal this year to date.

Several of the route colours marked on the published map were virtually the same, making it look like spaghetti junction and the map legend stating which route was which was totally illegible, making any consideration of their proposals impossible.

In their text the ESB have not specified which of these routes they are seeking planning permission for or if they intend to apply for planning permission for all eight routes listed?

We would like the ESB to state what is their criteria for choosing a route and we would ask them how they propose to install a 110kv line on a 38kv system (the sub-routes) and whether the proposed new sub-station is to be a 38kv or 110kv station and where exactly they are seeking to locate it?

The ESB state that initial engineering studies have taken place – are these available for public consultation? Who is carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessments for these routes?

Nowhere have the ESB offered any alternatives to the overhead cables and 500 steel pylons which were rejected by An Bord Pleanála three years ago.

It would appear that the ESB have not taken into consideration the opinions of the many who objected previously - Have the ESB even read the options offered by electricity expert, Prof. Mike O’Carroll, who recently made a presentation to Donegal County Council?

A positive approach to environmental energy policy would promote reliable local generation via Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units and biomass rather than overhead cables and pylons.

Although it may be attractive from an engineering perspective, there is no need, even for the foreseeable longer term, to bring a 110 kV connection to west Donegal, in order to meet demand there or elsewhere in the County.

ESB’s preferred option diverts the Binbane - Letterkenny 100 kV line to the west and adds a spur (or two) to Derrybeg. That would grossly over-provide for Derrybeg, with a capacity of 100 MW plus the 26 MW on the 38 kV line, to serve a demand of around 10 MW. Even when the factorys were full of workers in Gweedore the highest demand was for 16MV not 126MW as is presently proposed by the ESB. Surely this can only be to take power away from huge wind farm developments?

Why, for instance, is much of the route passing through Coilte forestry and mountainous areas? Is this to facilitate proposed wind farms rather than augment Donegal’s electricity supply?

The questions of health, scenic and environmental destruction, land devaluation and loss of potential tourism revenue have yet to be addressed by the ESB.

Unless the ESB begin to operate in an open and transparent manner and consider the real importance of our natural environment their plans will fall short once again.

For further information
see http://www.dun-na-ngall.com/atp.html or contact Alternatives to Pylons Donegal by email at info@dun-na-ngall.com

ATP have been campaigning to protect the Donegal environment since 1998. You can help by joining the group or making a donation to the Appeal fund by sending a cheque or postal order to:

ATP GROUP, Account no. 82529441, Bank of Ireland, Dungloe, County

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Alternatives to Pylons Donegal prepares to battle the ESB once more