Celtic Interconnector; Onshore Investigation by Rubicon
Project:
Celtic Interconnector Project – Onshore Cable Route
Date:
2019-2022
Location:
County Cork, Ireland
Client:
Eirgrid & Mott MacDonald Ireland Ltd
Business Sectors:
Energy Infrastructure
Services (Technical Disciplines):
Provide archaeological and cultural heritage consultancy input for the Design Team as part of the planning process, to support the completion of assessments for the onshore underground cable route.
The overall project is a c. 500Km subsea cable linking Ireland to France which will allow the exchange of electricity between the electrical transmission grids in Ireland and France. From the landing point south of Youghal the cable route traverses much of east Cork to the converter station at Knockraha, a distance of c. 35km.
Consideration of the cultural landscape is a statutory requirement of the planning process. Developers and archaeological consultants must meet preservation and conservation obligations, observing best practice, while contributing to the efficient delivery of development and infrastructure.
Project Objectives:
- Provide a high-level understanding of the key likely significant constraints within each study area. This information, when considered in parallel with all other environmental constraints, assisted in the decision-making process and informed the design and planning for the proposed scheme.
- Identify and assess the baseline archaeology and cultural heritage environment, evaluate the likely significant impacts that the proposed development will have on this environment and to provide mitigation measures.
Project Outcomes:
- Our expert consultancy team undertook a detailed study of the cartographic and documentary sources for both the cable route and convertor station locations. This study identified all known cultural heritage receptors within and the cable corridor study area, as well as any areas of archaeological potential crossed by the cable route. Additional and supporting field data was collected and collated by our field teams and consultancy staff that examined the scheme environment. When combined, this data informed an assessment of the potential impacts of the scheme on the cultural heritage landscape, which helped to determine the appropriate mitigation measures against significant adverse impacts, assisting our clients in the selection of an optimum route.
Our Role:
- The identification of Cultural Heritage Assets within the scheme landscape
- The identification of any potential impacts to those assets (i.e Cultural Heritage Receptors)
- The assessment of the significance of effects resulting from these impacts, and
- The formulation of mitigation measures for significant adverse effects.
- Compiling the Cultural Heritage Constraints Study of the cable route and convertor stations
- Compiling the Cultural Heritage Chapter for EIAR
- Photo shows Lisglasheen Ring Fort; Lidar & Air Photo
Geoscience Ireland Contact:
