Business

Powerlines, powersharing and powering the north's economy

Soni operates the electricity grid from offices in the Castlereagh hills
Soni operates the electricity grid from offices in the Castlereagh hills Soni operates the electricity grid from offices in the Castlereagh hills

ON the face of it, it would appear that Northern Ireland’s energy industry is booming, with the news recently that two more suppliers have entered the market,

But when it comes to electricity, the north is facing security of supply issues.

With European environmental directives gradually stripping out fossil fuel generation across Northern Ireland over the next 10 years, the situation is becoming increasingly critical.

From the Soni (System Operator for Northern Ireland) control room in the Castlereagh Hills, a team of engineers works out how much electricity Northern Ireland needs on a second-by-second basis to ensure that generators are on hand to meet the demand for electricity. They also forecast how much electricity we will need in the years to come and compare that to the generation capacity expected.

Soni's general manager Robin McCormick said: "We have to make sure the lights don’t go out – and securing Northern Ireland’s electricity supply is our first priority. We have sufficient generating capacity on the island of Ireland as a result of the effective wholesale market introduced in 2007. There is a surplus in the South, but it is very different in the north, where we have generators being restricted by environmental legislation or being retired.

“Without a transmission solution to ensure the market continues to operate effectively there will be an increasing risk that we will not have sufficient generation capacity in Northern Ireland to be confident that we can 'keep the lights on'.

“This risk is around meeting the periods of peak demand - times when the majority are using and depending on their supply. We need all our generators to be available to be confident we can meet those peak demands.”

The solution, McCormick strongly believes is the proposed North South Interconnector, which will connect a powerline between Tyrone and Meath, allowing access for everyone on the island to the same generation capacity .

“Together with our parent company EirGrid, which operates the grid in the south, we are working to provide an all island solution so that the wholesale market provides the cheapest possible price for everyone. This power-sharing approach will strengthen the grid in the north; it will mean that we can all benefit from all the electricity produced on the island, particularly from renewables, to secure our supply in Northern Ireland, but like all good powersharing systems, the benefits will work both ways," he said.

The process of delivering what McCormick describes as "the single most important infrastructure project, on the island" has been delayed by various planning hurdles, but in June Soni submitted the last of the paperwork required by the DOE and it is expected that a public inquiry into the project will begin early next year. If planning approval is granted the line can be built by 2019 and McCormick is keen for no further delay.

"The North South Interconnector is the answer to securing Northern Ireland’s electricity supply. Further delay increases the risk of the north approaching, the electricity deficit cliff edge, what is really concerning is that by 2021 we will have fallen over that cliff, unless the interconnector is up and running," he said.

“Securing the north’s electricity isn’t just about making sure you can keep the lights on, it is part and parcel of NI PLC; a secure, stable supply is essential for attracting large manufacturers, data centres, and other new investors and therefore essential to the future growth of the Northern Ireland Economy.”

The North South Interconnector is high on the agenda of the EirGrid Group’s 10th Annual Conference which is taking place at Titanic Belfast today.