Thursday, 20th January 2011
New report makes case for Beauly-Denny undergrounding
A new study has bolstered the case for parts of the controversial Beauly to Denny power line to be buried underground, Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson has said.
The report was drawn up by Europacable, an organisation representing the cable manufacturing industry at Brussels, and the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) on the instructions of the EU’s Energy Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger.
It follows an earlier Europacable study published in October last year requested by Stirling Council's Beauly-Denny Steering Group entitled 'Stirling Visual Mitigation Scheme: Partial Undergrounding'.
Both reports look favourably at the prospect for the partial undergrounding of extra high voltage power transmission lines in areas of high landscape value.
Commenting on the newly published reports, Mr Stevenson said:
"I regard the two reports from Europacable and ENTSO-E as highly significant. They should surely provide convincing proof that the benefits of partial undergrounding outweigh the additional costs. Our unique Scottish landscape is priceless and undergrounding the most sensitive parts of the Beauly to Denny line should surely be a no-brainer.
"Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather has asked for a Visual Mitigation Scheme for Stirling and it is now up to ScottishPower as the applicants to table new proposals which look at undergrounding, re-routing, re-sizing of the proposed towers or landscape planting.
“I hope that they will seize the opportunity provided by this report to opt for undergrounding. Both ScottishPower and Scottish & Southern Energy are members of ENTSO-E and it will be rather surprising if they fail to endorse the report.”
In April 2009, Mr Stevenson invited leading activists from 'Scotland Before Pylons' and 'Stirling Before Pylons' to address a seminar in the European Parliament in Brussels. Shortly afterwards, the Energy Commissioner called on Europacable and ENTSO-E to draw up the report on the viability of partial undergrounding.
Mr Stevenson added:
"The report published by the Commission makes clear that although partial undergrounding of high voltage transmission lines can be between 3 and 10 times more expensive than overhead lines, the final installations are virtually maintenance free, fairly indestructible and not prone to the same level of energy losses as overhead lines.”
“The Europacable/ENTSO-E report notes that ‘From a technical perspective, partial undergrounding can be a viable option for transmission projects of vital interest for the development of the EU transmission network’.
“Also since an underground cable is shielded, there is no exposure to electro-magnetic fields above ground. The health fears associated with overhead lines are therefore completely ruled out. This is why some EU Member States like Germany and the Netherlands have legislation forcing energy companies to bury extra high voltage transmission lines. We should follow their example in Scotland. This report leads the way."
The full Europacable/ENTSO-E report can be accessed here: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/infrastructure/studies/doc/2010_high_voltage_power_transmission_lines.pdf
Europacable gave evidence for 'Stirling Before Pylons' at the Public Inquiry and at the April 2009 seminar in Brussels. In the report they criticise ScottishPower for failing, in evidence to the Public Inquiry, to refer to current undergrounding projects in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and England.
Following an invitation by the then European Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Andris Piebalgs, in December 2009, ENTSO-E and Europacable jointly produced the report, outlining the feasibility and technical aspects of partial undergrounding of Extra High Voltage (EHV) power transmission lines (AC 220 kV – 400kV).
