THE possibility of having the proposed Eirgrid inter-connector 400 KV cables undergrounded through a sharing of infrastructure with a new North-South Telecommunications link was put forward at this weeks Monaghan County Council meeting by Mid-Monaghan FG Cllr Gary Carville.
Project Kelvin was announced over the Summer by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamonn Ryan TD, and his Northern Counterpart in the Dept of Enterprise, Trade & Investment. The joint project which will provide international connectivity to the North West and Border areas through a new hi-spec line that will most likely be go underground through NI, into Monaghan and onto Dublin.
Cllr Carville said the project, funded under the EU Interreg IVA Programme, provides a perfect opportunity for sharing of infrastructure and to give value for money to taxpayers.
“The new telecoms link for the north west and border areas, Project Kelvin, will cost in the region of €35m and will give businesses and industries in these regions the same speed and cost as Dublin telecommunications. It will open opportunities for investment in Monaghan. It also opens the real possibility of having the cables for the proposed inter-connector put underground, using the same ducting. This will give real value for money,” he said.
“Let us seize this opportunity and co-align infrastructure,” Cllr Carville urged. “This is what is needed right across the public sector in terms of the roll-out of Capital projects. Why do we always have to dig a trench for one piece of infrastructure and then come along a year or two later and dig another one for a separate project.”
On Cllr Carville’s proposal, seconded by party colleague Cllr John Keenan, it was decided to renew the Council’s request to meet with Minister Ryan and to write to the Dept of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources and the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland outlining the Council’s view that undergrounding should be pursued and that co-alignment of infrastructure in the communications and energy sectors should be seriously explored.