Scottish MEP Struan Stevenson said that a report by the European Commission showed that laying the high voltage transmission lines beneath the surface would be maintenance-free, fairly indestructible and would not suffer the energy losses suffered by overland lines, although it can cost up to 10 times more than overhead lines.
He said the documents were significant to the 137-mile project as they looked favourably at the prospect for the partial undergrounding.
Mr Stevenson said: “They should surely provide convincing proof that the benefits of partial undergrounding outweigh the additional costs. Our unique Scottish landscape is priceless and undergrounding the most sensitive parts of the Beauly to Denny line should surely be a no-brainer.
“Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather has asked for a Visual Mitigation Scheme for Stirling and it is now up to Scottish Power to table proposals which look at undergrounding, re-routing, re-sizing of the proposed towers or landscape planting.
“Since an underground cable is shielded, there is no exposure to electro-magnetic fields above ground. The health fears associated with overhead lines are therefore completely ruled out.
“This is why some EU member states have legislation forcing energy companies to bury extra high voltage transmission lines.
“We should follow their example in Scotland. This report leads the way.”
He said the first report was by Europacable, representing the cable manufacturing industry, and the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) for EU’s Energy Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger.
Europacable has also produced a second report, ‘Stirling Visual Mitigation Scheme: Partial Undergrounding’ at the request of Stirling Council’s Beauly-Denny Steering Group.
He said both Beauly-Denny developers, Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy, were members of ENTSO-E and it would be surprising if they failed to endorse the report.
Peter Pearson, Secretary of Stirling Before Pylons campaign group, said “We think that both these reports are significant and that as a result the Minister should take undergrounding on board when he considers the Stirling Visual Mitigation Scheme from Scottish Power.”
A Scottish Power spokesman said: “Scottish ministers accepted the conclusion of the Public Inquiry Reporters that having regard to the cost of alternatives, the technical problems associated with them, and the limited environmental benefits which they offer, the case made by objectors for alternative routing and/or undergrounding had not been justified.
The Scottish Government said that approval was given subject to a “detailed and comprehensive range of conditions.”
Herald Scotland
Post Title
→Beauly-Denny power lines should go underground
Post URL
→https://national-grid-news.blogspot.com/2011/01/beauly-denny-power-lines-should-go.html
Visit National-grid-news for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection
