Big chill: first ice on harbour for 25 years
SUB-ZERO weather conditions in the west have strained power supplies to the limit, with a series of blackouts affecting several thousand people in Galway city this week.
The ESB estimates that up to 3,000 customers were affected in Salthill, Knocknacarra, Rahoon and Barna on Tuesday night, fulfilling its prediction that three consecutive cold days could result in outages. As power was restored to some areas within an hour, other areas began to "trip out on a rolling basis", it says.
The ESB is upgrading Galway's system at Rahoon, and is applying under fast-tracking legislation to An Bord Pleanála for approval of its controversial upgrade of the Connemara network.
The extent of demand growth has been such in the State's fastest growing city that the ESB says it predicted several years ago that problems would occur - both in the city and in the county, which was described as running on a "wing and a prayer". It estimates there was a demand increase of over 50 per cent between 1996 and 2002, when Galway city recorded a 10 per cent population growth. The city upgrade is costing €40 million and should be completed by the end of the year.
A separate upgrade of the Connemara system from 38kv to 110kv was approved by Galway County Council but rejected by An Bord Pleanála in April 2006. The appeals board rejected the plan to run overhead lines some 30km on environmental grounds.
The route ran through the Connemara bog complex Special Area of Conservation and designated Natural Heritage Areas, and the board said the plan would contravene the EU habitats directive. It found overhead lines would cause "visual distortion" above the natural contours in "remote, unspoilt, highly scenic locations" .
A new route for the high voltage system will be 48km long and include an upgrade of the substation at Screeb. Last year, a study on installing high voltage power lines underground was commissioned by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan due to concern about pylons and confusion over the cost of underground power lines.