SONI have now completed part 2b of our 3-part process for Grid Development. After several direct engagements with interested stakeholders and a further three public engagement events, consultees were invited to feedback on overhead line route corridor options and proposed switching substation sites.
This feedback will help inform finalised proposals which SONI will put out for consultation in 2024 before making a planning submission to the relevant authorities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank consultees for engaging with this process.
The project is now in Part 2b of SONI’s 3-part process for Developing the Grid. During this stage SONI will provide further detail on potential route options for the new circuit between Terrygowan and Rasharkin and will also consider potential sites for the new substation at Terrygowan. We will begin to engage with landowners during this stage to discuss the route of the new circuit.
Our second round of public consultation will commence in July to give the local community and stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the project
The following public consultation events are planned throughout August to discuss the Mid Antrim Upgrade:
Now that we have identified several potential substation sites and overhead line corridors, the project is moving into part 2b of our 3 Part Process for developing the grid; at this stage we will consult extensively with stakeholders and local communities.
In June 2023 we will be re-engaging with the Citizens Sounding Board and Community Forum to gather further feedback to help determine the prefered option and inform our next round of public consultation which will begin in July 2023.
We have concluded Part 2a of our 3 Part Process for Developing the Grid, which included public consultation days as well as a number of engagements with key stakeholders.
Feedback gathered from this consultation period, will help to shape our plans for the project, in tandem with further environmental and technical studies.
We have already carried out initial public consultation events in 2022, and as we continue to progress the plans for this project further consultation events are planned for 2023.
The project is now in Part 2 of our 3 Part Process for Developing the Grid. Following the completion of Part 1, we are proposing to proceed with the preliminary preferred option, a new substation at Terrygowan, an uprate of the double circuit between Kells and Terrygowan (one side only) and a new overhead line between Terrygowan and Rasharkin to be the preferred option for the Mid Antrim Upgrade.
During Phase 2a we are obtaining feedback from key stakeholders regarding the proposed study area. The exact location of the new substation and overhead line will not be identified until the completion of part 2 of the 3 Part Process for Developing the Grid.
During this part of the process, we will identify an exact location where the new substation will be built whilst continuing to engage with stakeholders using a range of consultation techniques, to enable them to have their say on the project.
We always consider how new projects may impact individuals and communities and we work hard to minimise this, where possible.
The following public consultation days are planned to discuss the Mid Antrim Upgrade:
Rosspark Hotel, Kells - 16th November 2022
Portglenone Community Centre - 22nd November 2022
Rasharkin Community Centre - 29th November 2022
This project completed Part 1 of our 3 Part Process for Developing the Grid. This is where we considered all potential technology solutions and identified a preliminary preferred option and affected area. During this phase we looked at the problem, the area, considered what technology could be used, how practical it is to deliver and how much it costs. We also engaged with a number of key stakeholder groups, like the local council and elected representatives so that we could better understand what matters to communities, landowners and businesses in the proposed area.