EirGrid has published a significant report on the Grid West project, entitled the Stage 1 Report, and is now encouraging feedback and engagement from the public and communities in the west on the work which has been done to date.

Grid West Project Manager, Alan McHugh said: "This is a key milestone for the Grid West project as, for the first time, we bring before the public a number of potential corridors which can accommodate this new transmission line to provide 21st century electricity infrastructure for the west of Ireland. With this information we are also starting a new round of focused public consultation so that individuals and communities in the region can engage and interact with the project team."

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The €240m Grid West project will develop a new high capacity power line linking the Bellacorick area in County Mayo to a strong point on the transmission grid at either Flagford in County Roscommon or Cashla in County Galway. By connecting the electricity generated by the region's huge renewable energy resources, the project will facilitate significant job creation and investment as well as contributing to national recovery and growth. Grid West is part of EirGrid’s Grid25 plan to upgrade the national grid between now and 2025 to deliver a sustainable, competitive and secure electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.

Mr McHugh continued: "This Stage 1 Report marks the culmination of the initial information gathering stage of the project. This focused on mapping the key features including towns, villages and settlements, national monuments, landscapes, areas designated for conservation and all existing

infrastructure which may have a bearing on the project."

The report analyses in detail how various constraints impact on these corridors and identifies a corridor from Bellacorick to Flagford as being the 'least constrained' to meets the needs of the project.

The least constrained corridor is considered by consultants to be the corridor which best avoids the environmental and other constraints or limitations which have been identified by the project to date.

(CD)