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National Grid has unveiled plans for “the biggest new power line project since the electricity network was built”.
The 102-mile link will connect the proposed Moorside nuclear plant in Cumbria to the electricity network. More than a quarter of the connection could be buried underground to reduce the visual impact.
National Grid is planning to run the new line underground through the entire 14.5-mile western section of the Lake District National Park. Existing lines may be removed completely to leave this part of the park free of pylons for the first time in 50 years.
The network operator has also proposed building a 13-mile tunnel under Morecambe Bay to avoid the southern part of the park, and replacing the low voltage line around Hadrian’s Wall with underground cables.
It said many of the existing lower voltage lines, owned by Electricity North West, which run around the west coast of Cumbria could be replaced with higher voltage lines using fewer, taller pylons.
The proposals for the Moorside connection
Source: National Grid
National Grid will begin a 10-week public consultation on the project on Friday. Project manager Robert Powell said: “We’ve undertaken significant engagement during the six years we have spent developing our plans. We’ve listened very carefully to groups like the Lake District National Park Authority, The National Trust and members of the public on the importance of the national park and other treasured landscapes in Cumbria and Lancashire.
“Balancing the impact of the project on the landscape against its cost has involved making some difficult choices, as the cost of building a connection is ultimately passed through to energy bill payers. We believe the proposal we are going to consult on over the coming months strikes the best balance. Our consultation will now give people a chance to have their say on the fine detail of the project.”
The connection will run northwards along the coast from Moorside to an existing substation at Harker near Carlisle. It will also run southwards from the plant across the Furness peninsula and through the tunnel under Morecambe Bay to come up an existing substation near Heysham in Lancashire. National Grid said this will effectively create a “power ring” around the north west coast to which other generators could connect in the future.
The firm is aiming to submit an application for consent to the Planning Inspectorate in 2017, before a final decision is made by the business and energy secretary. Work is expected to begin in 2019 if consent is granted. National Grid has a contract with NuGen to install the first phase of the connection by 2024.
Source: National Grid
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