EirGrid Consultation On Kildare-Meath Grid Upgrade Route Options Continues.

4 separate routes are under consideration.

EirGrid has launched a public consultation to identify a preferred underground route option for the Kildare-Meath Grid Upgrade.

The Kildare-Meath Grid Upgrade is a high-capacity connection between Dunstown substation near Two Mile House in Kildare and Woodland substation near Batterstown in Meath.

Letters are being sent to homes in the hinterland of all route options, and can be returned by free post. Submissions may also be made here

The closing date is November 22nd

The Kildare-Meath Upgrade Will Inroduce Large Cross-Country Power Flows To The East. To learn more about the proposed 4 route options, click the link ⬇️https://t.co/7Mnt8Tj0iD

— EirGrid Plc (@EirGrid) September 6, 2021

The firm says "the project will help to more effectively transfer power to the east of the country and distribute it throughout the electricity network in Meath, Kildare and surrounding counties. It will also strengthen the network and help meet the growing demand for electricity in the East."

EirGrid is presenting four potential routes for the project, following a decision in April that an underground cable was the best performing option.

This follows on from a consultation last year, in which the firm wrote to 57,000 homes across the two counties

All four route options travel, primarily, along the public road network between the two substations and EirGrid is seeking to avoid agricultural lands, motorways, town centres and industrial estates where possible.

The lengths of the four options range from 47km to 51km. While most of the cable route in each option can be laid in the road network, each will require some of the route to be constructed off-road. These off-road corridors range from 5km to 12km and are currently being investigated and analysed by the EirGrid project team.

Michael Mahon, EirGrid's Chief Infrastructure Officer joined Eoin Beatty on Monday's edition of Kildare Today.

The Kildare-Meath Grid Upgrade is essential to enable further development of renewable energy generation in line with Government policy ambitions of having at least 70% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030.

Read more about benefits here: https://t.co/270RvcG9Hg pic.twitter.com/8zyZwEnEwS

— EirGrid Plc (@EirGrid) September 3, 2021