North Wales Connection

 

Ffurf Gymraeg/Welsh version

Background

In the coming years, a number of large power stations are due to close which will result in a significant gap between the amount of energy the UK needs and the amount it is able to generate. It is critical that the UK has plans in place to overcome this potential shortfall and generate enough electricity to meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

Addressing climate change will also have a significant influence on the electricity industry. Burning fossil fuels such as gas and coal to generate electricity creates large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a major greenhouse gas. The UK Government is committed to reducing emissions by 34 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 and the Climate Change Committee has advised the Government that much of the reduction should come from the electricity industry.

 

Tackling the energy challenge

Part of the solution to these challenges is a major investment in new, lower carbon sources of electricity. Ofgem, the Government’s energy industry regulator, estimates that over £200 billion will need to be spent on changing the way we generate electricity to maintain supplies and tackle climate change.  Many new energy projects are already being planned across the UK.

Just as the way we generate electricity is going to change in the years ahead, so will the National Grid electricity network that transmits power to where it is needed.

Both the Government and Ofgem have acknowledged the huge investments that National Grid needs to make to reinforce and extend the network. We are therefore planning a major programme of investment totaling £22 billion over the coming years to connect new energy projects across the country in a safe, efficient and cost effective way.

 

Connecting new generation in North Wales

Significant new low carbon energy generation is being proposed in North Wales and will require connecting to our network. At present, National Grid has an agreement to connect a new nuclear power station being developed at Wylfa.

The developer, Horizon Nuclear Power, has publicly stated its intention to install 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of power generation – that’s more than three times the output from the existing power station. We also have a connection agreement with Centrica to connect 1GW of offshore wind, which is being proposed in the Irish Sea.

It is National Grid’s job to find the best way of connecting the proposed new energy generation to the network. Before any new decisions are made, a great deal of investigation work has to take place to identify the possible options and then assess these from a technical and engineering perspective, as well as considering economic, environmental and community factors.

 

Where are we now?

As we are at an early stage in the project, formal consultation has not yet started, but we anticipate it will commence in the first half of 2012 and will be widely publicised within the local community.

Anglesey Show Display Graphics

As part of our commitment to engaging with communities, we supported Horizon Nuclear Power at their information events in November 2010 and more recently at their monthly public drop-in events. These events provide an opportunity for people to learn more about National Grid’s work and the important role we have to play in unlocking new energy generation in North Wales.

We also attended the 2010 and 2011 Anglesey Show alongside Horizon Nuclear Power and Magnox North. This was a great opportunity to speak to the public and explain who National Grid is and the important role we have to play in connecting new energy generation to the transmission network. 

If you would like to find out further information about National Grid and our work in North Wales, please take a look at the project FAQ, or other documents via the North Wales Connection documents page.

National Grid 'North Wales Connection' newsletters

Our introductory newsletter provides information on the role of National Grid; the energy challenge; how an electricity connection is made; and the lifecycle of a project.

In October 2011, we distributed an update newsletter across Anglesey to explain more about the energy challenge and the work National Grid is doing to establish ways of connecting the proposed new energy generation to the electricity transmission network.

Finding out more and having your say

National Grid is committed to undertaking a public consultation in order that we can understand the views and opinions of the local community.

The consultation will take place at a number of stages in the design process and is aimed at involving people in the decision making process taking account of views to influence our proposals.

Consultation will begin in the first half of 2012 with a series of public events about our work to connect the new generation in North Wales.

At these events, we will be available to advise you further about why we need to connect new sources of energy and to listen to your views.
Our consultation programme will be widely publicised.

Our first phase will introduce:

  • the proposed work in North Wales
  • the developments we are considering and
  • the technologies we could use. 

At this time we will also be launching our dedicated North Wales Connection web site.

If you would like to be notified when the web site goes live and be kept up to date as the project progresses, please register with us.

We welcome your views on what would be important to you during the consultation  process. Please contact us to have your say by:

Undergrounding costs study

At the request of the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) an independent report was sought into the comparative costs of installing new high voltage transmission using cables underground, beneath the sea or overhead lines.  The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) provided quality assurance of the work. 

The report was conducted by engineering consultancy Parsons Brinkerhoff, in association with Cable Consulting International, who collated and assessed a broad range of data from manufacturers, installers and operators. 

We welcome the publication of the independent report and have outlined how this compares to National Grid’s view.

Further Information