The Eryri Visual Impact Provision (VIP) project has reached a major milestone with the launch of Buddug, our Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
Buddug will be used to excavate the tunnel that will contain the underground electricity cables replacing the 3km of overhead line and 10 pylons that currently cross the Dwyryd Estuary in the Eryri National Park. She has now started her 3.4km journey from our main site at Minffordd, towards Llandecwyn.
To mark this important milestone in the project, and to show our appreciation to those who have helped us get to this point, we held two events in late April.
On Saturday 26 April, we hosted acommunity open day where our nearest site neighbours were invited to the Eryri VIP project site to thank them for their support and patience and so that they could learn more about the project. The day included a visit to our Project Information Centre where the project team were on hand to answer questions and explain more about the project. Near site neighbours were then given a tour of the project site and a chance to get a glimpse of Buddug.
Following our community day, a stakeholder launch event was held on Monday 28 April at Castell Deudraeth, Portmeirion. This was attended by strategic partners and advisory group stakeholders who have been involved since the project’s inception, along with senior National Grid executives.
The day included speeches from the Eryri VIP project team, leading environmentalist Chris Baines – Chair of the independent Stakeholder Advisory Group for VIP projects and the president of National Grid Electricity Transmission, Alice Delahunty. Guests were then given a tour of the project site where they were able to view the TBM in its launch box 13.8m below the ground surface. The launch box itself comprises two sections and is 8m wide and 69m long in total. The TBM itself is 166m long, weighs 436 tonnes and will be lowered into the box in segments. Once complete, the tunnel will be one of the longest in Wales.
Eryri VIP Senior Project Manager Steve Ellison said,
It was great to be able to welcome our nearest site neighbours and our stakeholders to the project site for this rare opportunity to see Buddug before her journey.
All of these people have been invaluable in getting us to such a crucial stage in construction and we’d like to thank everyone for their support and collaboration.
Buddug has now begun her tunnelling journey under the estuary – a journey that is due to be completed in 2026 when she reaches the end point of the tunnel at Llandecwyn.
If you have any questions about the project, please contact the Eryri VIP project team by emailing us at [email protected] or calling 0800 019 1898. If we are unable to answer your call immediately, please leave a message and a member of our team will get back to you.
