Energy giant denies North-South Wales ‘pylon route’ is confirmed

A charity that protects the rural landscapes in Wales say they have exposed plans for a pylon corridor that will stretch from north to south Wales and rip through Montgomeryshire.

CPRW said that they understand the North-South Wales connection is to go ahead with overhead transmission lines on pylons.

The Welsh landscape charity has raised concern over the impact pylons will have on the landscape and natural environment and strongly recommends the use of subsea cables or undergrounding.

And a National Grid spokesperson admitted to us last night that a “significant amount of new electricity network is required across the UK, including a need for a new network between North Wales and South Wales”, but added no final decision had been made.

But CPRW said that National Grid are already offering connection agreements to the line for both planned and current windfarms in the Welshpool and Newtown areas.

Here is what the two sides are saying:

Dr Jonathan Dean, CPRW Trustee: “The possible route for the line to take is; from Bodelwyddan, head south down the Vale of Clwyd, Gwyddelwern, Cefn Coch, once near Builth Wells, head South West, down Dyffryn Tywi to Llandyfaelog. National Grid are claiming that the project is “early days” and they are still considering “all options” but wind farm developers are being offered connection agreements to it.

“We can achieve net zero using only offshore wind. The Irish Sea alone can produce more energy than the whole of onshore Wales. We can transmit the energy long distances under the sea. We can get the energy to even the remotest farm using wooden poles or “ploughed in” cables. We can protect and conserve our landscapes for future generations. Everything is possible, but we’re not doing it.”

CPRW say they are aware of the following emerging facts:

• Bodelwyddan is fast becoming an energy hub, including bringing electricity from Scotland, and is not constrained by Eryri National Park
• A new substation and battery storage is planned at Gwyddelwern, near Corwen
• The Mynydd Mawr proposed wind farm at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant has been offered a connection agreement to the North/South line
• Scottish Power have a project, started in 2011 but put on hold, for a substation at Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, for several wind farms
• The Carnedd Wen proposed wind farm near Mallwyd to the east of Dolgellau will connect to a substation called Mid-Wales West
• Lightsource have a wind/solar/storage project called Berthlwyd that will connect to a substation called Mid-Wales Connection Node A, possibly near Newbridge
• A new substation is planned at Llandyfaelog, south of Carmarthen, for several mid-Wales wind farms as well as the Celtic Sea wind farms
• National policy presumes pylons in all but designated landscapes

National Grid spokesperson said: “In 2022, NESO (previously ESO) published the Holistic Network Design (HND), a coordinated design for the transmission network, which identified a significant amount of new electricity network required across the UK, including a need for a new network between North Wales and South Wales.

“NESO is the National Electricity System Operator for the whole of Great Britain and is separate from National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). NESO is a publicly owned company, regulated by Ofgem, and responsible for assessing long-term network requirements.

“Where a need for reinforcement has been identified within Wales and England, NGET has a responsibility to assess a range of possible strategic options to find the optimal solution to the network requirements. The assessments have not yet concluded and there is no public information we are currently able to share.”

PICTURE: How CPRW believe the North-South pylon route will look.