Welsh-Irish power station backed

Much of the work will take place in the Irish Sea

The go-ahead for a new power converter station that will help link the electricity networks of north Wales and Ireland has been given.

Flintshire council gave permission to build the facility close to Shotton Paper Mill on Deeside Industrial Park.

EirGrid aims to start preliminary work later this year on laying an undersea cable from County Meath to Deeside.

It is hoped the 250km-long (155 miles) cable will be able to carry enough power for 300,000 homes by 2012.

The cable will be able to carry electricity in both directions beneath the Irish Sea.

It will come ashore at Barkby Beach, Prestatyn, then continue underground, mainly along the route of the A548 coast road, to Deeside.

Eirgrid, an independent electricity transmission system operator in the Irish Republic, has said the £560m project will help secure power supplies in both countries.

It says the scheme will also have the potential to open a new market for electricity generated in Wales, particularly renewable energy.

The new converter station will transform electricity onto a current that is suitable for underground and undersea cables.

When EirGrid submitted its planning application for the converter station in May, project director John Fitzgerald commented: "The converter station forms an essential part of this project which will ensure there is enough high voltage power for homes, businesses and industry in both countries.

"The site we have selected next to Shotton Paper Mill is suitable for a number of reasons, including its proximity to the high voltage electricity network and its low visual impact.

"We have carried out a full environmental impact assessment on the site which has found that the station, if constructed, will not have a detrimental impact on the area."

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