Make the Connection

Make The Connection

North West Coast Connections (Moorside)

Client: National Grid – Electricity North West

Outline Project Description

North West Coast Connections is a project to connect the proposed 3,800 megawatt nuclear power station at Moorside near Sellafield to the main national grid electricity network. The connection proposed to build is around 164 kilometers (102 miles) long The largest Scheme National Grid has ever been involved in. It broadly follows the path taken by existing Electricity North West (ENW) pylon lines running around the coast of west Cumbria between Carlisle and the Furness peninsula, before going through a tunnel under Morecambe Bay to Lancashire. The total cost of building our proposed connection will be around £2.8 billion.

EDES Involvement

  • Assemble map data for the entire “NG Preferred Route Corridor”
  • Assemble ENW GIS information for all assets within this corridor
  • Create a “Direct” impact zone of +/‐ 80m from the centre line of the proposed 400kV line.
    Any ENW asset within this zone to be highlighted and possible O/H or U/G solutions to divert
    to be investigated.
  • Create “Indirect” impact zone of +/‐ 200m from the centre line of the proposed 400kV line.
    Any ENW asset within this zone to be recorded.
  • Create a “Direct Structure” impact zone of 30m radius around each proposed 400kV
    structure. Any ENW asset within this zone to be highlighted and possible solutions to divert
    to be investigated.
  • Propose possible solutions for single circuit Trident line options between Moorside to Lindal
    section of proposed 400kV line
  • Create possible site access plans for access to work areas for all diversions.
  • Create / maintain Design Decision Registers for each location/diversion.
  • Create/ maintain Risk Register for each location/diversion.
    ENW network to allow structures to be installed beneath existing overhead lines.
  • Any O/H diversions to be contained within the 200m corridor yet outside of the 80m
    boundary where practically possible.
  • Design Under ground cable diversions
  • Co-ordination with 400kV Design team
  • assessment of the individual and cumulative outage needs