Tenders sought for 400 pylons

RESIDENTS along the route of Eirgrid’s proposed North South interconnector are preparing for battle following confirmation that tenders have been sought for the provision of the pylons.

The ESB, Eirgrid’s sister company has sought tenders for the 400 pylons needed along the route - an act described by protestors as “provocative.”
The North East Pylon Pressure Campaign has now thrown down the gauntlet to politicians. “The politicians need to step in or the landowners will be standing at the gates,” said spokesperson, Padraig O’Reilly.
“This interconnector will not be built. We are preparing for battle and Eirgrid won’t force it through. They don’t have approval to access the lands in question. They can order all the pylons they like, but they won’t get in to build them,” he warned.
Tenders for the design and fabrication of 400 pylon towers, each carrying 400,000 volts, has been sought by the ESB.
“A minimum of nine months has been set aside in the programme of works to complete the procurement process, identify a contractor and agree contracts. No works will be commissioned on the project during this time,” said a spokesperson.
“The tender notice has been published in order to comply with restrictive and lengthy timelines set out by the Official Journal of the European Union, in which all tenders from the public sector valued above a certain financial threshold must be published.”
She said the project is currently the subject of a number of planning, judicial and governmental reviews. The outcome of the current reviews are expected to be known before the Europe wide procurement process has concluded. If necessary this procurement process can be cancelled at any time.
“ESB, with the support of EirGrid, decided to avail of this current review period in order to progress elements of the North South Interconnector project that demand very lengthy lead-in times,” she said.
Padraig O’Reilly said EirGrid action confirms the full support from Minister Naughten and makes a mockery of a áil majority motion to allow a full analysis and community conmsultationto take place.
“This confirms that public acceptance is irrelevant to EirGrid’s strategy and plans. It puts EirGrid and ESB on a clear path of direct conflict and confrontation with landowners and communities in the North-East.
“The tender confirms that the feasible and acceptable alternative of undergrounding will never be properly examined by EirGrid. The overhead line decision made in 2005 will not be reviewed despite 12 years of technological advancements.
“The provocative placing and timing of the tender is clear confirmation of EirGrid’s dictatorial approach on this project and its attitude of unaccountability to the democratic process in this country.”
He said a Fianna Fáil motion in February, supported by a majority in both the Dáil and Seanad called on the Government to ensure that no further work is done on the North-South Interconnector until this analysis and a full community consultation is completed.
“This is being blithely ignored by EirGrid. The Independent Expert Group (IEG) study on undergrounding commenced in August and is due to finish in January. Placing a tender for 400 pylons prior to completion of this study renders the process a sterile exercise and makes a mockery of the spirit and thrust of the Dáil motion.
“EirGrid could not proceed in flagrantly ignoring the democratic process without the tacit approval of Minister Naughten and the Government. Furthermore, there is not a word of dissent from the Government-elected representatives in the North-East. No Government elected representative is challenging this totally anti-democratic approach,” he said.
The NEPPC has also asked why the North-East the only region where Government TDs have failed to stop pylons?
The Grid Link proposal, which planned to construct over 750 pylons across 11 counties was scrapped in 2015. “This week EirGrid announced that Grid West, involving over 240 400kv pylons is also being scrapped. This means that 16 of the original counties planned to be affected will no longer receive any new extra high voltage pylons.
“Yet the North-South interconnector remains unchanged and untouched.”