National Grid launched a public consultation in October 2009 on two possible route corridors for a new overhead power line between Hinkley Point in Somerset and Seabank in Avonmouth to connect to connect a 3600MW nuclear power station at Hinkley Point by September 2017 to the national electricity transmission network.
For more detailed information and to submit your views please visit our Hinkley Point C connection consultation web site.
Route corridor options
Following initial environmental and technical studies, we identified two broad route corridors within which an overhead line could be located.
Corridor one
Corridor one includes two options.
One option (1A) involves removing an existing Western Power Distribution 132,000 volt overhead line and using its corridor for a new 400,000 volt overhead line. This option would also require a new substation at Churchill in North Somerset and a new 4km length of 400,000 volt overhead line to connect it with the new Bridgwater to Seabank overhead line.
The second option (1B) involves the construction of a new 400,000 volt overhead line next to the existing 132,000 volt overhead line. Under Option 1B the existing 132,000 overhead line would not be removed.
Corridor two
Corridor two is slightly more complicated as it contains a number of different route options. From the south, the corridor follows a route to the east of the existing Western Power Distribution 132,000 volt overhead line, before joining up with it at the Mendip Hills.
From this point, two options for the corridor have been identified: one that follows the path of the M5 motorway, and a second which runs parallel to the existing line.
These options come together north east of Weston-super-Mare, where corridor two continues to the east of Nailsea before re-joining the existing 132,000 volt overhead line near Portishead.
Avonmouth has less open ground and is highly residential and as a result only one route corridor has been identified north of Portishead. Both corridor one and two would need to follow this route to achieve a connection into Seabank.
The story so far
Our first stage of consultation began in October 2009 and following a series of public exhibitions we have taken on board all the feedback received.
You let us know that you want us to provide more information and explanation about how we have arrived at the proposed options and why we did not take forward other options.
Before we make a decision on a preferred route corridor, we want to give you the opportunity to absorb the new information available and provide your feedback.
We would be grateful if all feedback was returned by Friday 23 July 2010.
Giving us your feedback
To formally submit your views online please go to the Hinkley Point C connection consultation web site for details.
Alternatively there are a number of other ways in which you can tell us what you think about this project: