YGC Site visit to the National Grid Visual Impact Provision project in Eryri National Park
Picture of Sion Arwel Jones (Business Development Manager), Adrian Wyn Williams (Meirionnydd Area Engineer), John Rhys Jones (Principle Engineer),Carl Matheson Edwards (Principle Engineer) and Steffan Jones (Head of Highways, Engineering and YGC)
Recently, staff from YGC were given a site tour and overview of the National Grid project at Minffordd near Porthmadog.
About the project
The Visual Impact Provision project in Eryri National Park aims to reduce the visual impact of National Grid’s overhead line across the Dwyryd Estuary from Minffordd to Llandecwyn.
Stakeholders have agreed that the best way to achieve this is to remove a section of this overhead line and replace it with electricity cables buried in a tunnel underground. It represents a major opportunity to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and environmental heritage of this precious landscape of Eryri.
Photo of the underground tunnel
The section of overhead line
The section of overhead line to be removed runs from the Garth Sealing End Compound (SEC) near Minffordd and crosses the Dwyryd Estuary in Penrhyndeudraeth, where it enters the western edge of the National Park. It then continues eastwards up to just beyond Llandecwyn.
The section of overhead line, constructed in 1966, is part of the 400kV electricity route connecting the 400kV Pentir substation near Bangor with the former Trawsfynydd Power Station, now a 400kV substation.
The 4ZC route is an integral part of the National Electricity infrastructure and this project has been designed to meet the capability of the existing infrastructure which will help to provide secure and reliable power supplies to North Wales and beyond.
Why was this section selected?
This section of line was identified by an independent landscape study as having landscape impacts of very high importance, particularly on the Ardudwy Coastal Hinterland as well as a small part of the Morfa Harlech landscape. This is a complex and dramatic landscape which provides a transition between the popular tourist coastline of the National Park and the adjacent upland areas.
The special qualities of the National Park are clearly expressed in the landscape, which also displays high scenic quality, conservation interests and recreational value.
Removal of the overhead line will enhance the special landscape properties in the area and improve the setting of the Aberglaslyn registered Welsh Historic Landscape. Views and the setting of the registered park and garden at Portmeirion as well as a number of listed buildings will also benefit. Views will also be enhanced from local roads, trails, footpaths and the coastal railway when the pylons are removed.
YGC visit
Steffan Jones, Head of the Highways, Engineering and YGC at Cyngor Gwynedd said – “we were honoured to have been invited to see this amazing project and be given a tour of the site. This exciting project will enhance the landscape of the coast and Eryri National Park and offers skilled employment to many local people. It was reassuring to learn about all the environmental mitigation in place, and the level of engagement with the local community and the Welsh language. We thank Stephen and the team for an excellent presentation.”.
More details about the project – National Grid website
Please click here on the link below to see a map of the existing transmission line, the tunnel route and the locations for the tunnel head houses and sealing end compound.