The developer of the proposed Glyn Rhonwy pumped hydro electricity storage scheme near Llanberis, Snowdonia Pumped Hydro (SPH), has been granted planning permission for an underground grid connection for the facility.
The Snowdonia Society and other opponents of the scheme claimed repeatedly that pylons would be used, but the decision by Gwynedd Council’s planning committee means SPH can feed power generated by the 99.9 MW, 700 MWh facility into the North Wales electricity grid via a buried cable.
“For us it’s a case of delivering on what we always said we would do,” said SPH managing director Dave Holmes. “The approval by the council of our chosen connection route finally puts the issue to bed.”
The cable will be buried in a narrow trench, primarily in the verges of the road network, with the surface reinstated as cable laying progresses along the route. At Afon Rhythallt the cable will be carried within the road bridge if a structural survey shows it is suitable, or taken several metres under the river bed by the technique of horizontal directional drilling. Laying of the cable is expected to take around 12 months.
The Glyn Rhonwy scheme already has planning permission at an output of 49.9 MW, but a decision to install higher output underground turbines meant SPH had to re-apply for permission to build the scheme, even though other key design details remain unaltered.
Examination of the revised scheme by the UK Planning Inspectorate closed at the beginning of September and a final decision will be made by the UK Secretary of State by early March 2017.
“In the meantime we are continuing to make progress,” said Holmes. “We’re working on the few remaining outstanding consents, fine-tuning the construction timetable and liaising with potential equipment and services suppliers so that we are poised to move to financial close and into the build phase.”
Developer applies for water discharge licence
As part of the ongoing work the developer has also applied to Natural Resources Wales for a licence to empty standing rainwater from a disused quarry at the site into Llyn Padarn.
The dewatering is necessary before work to turn the quarry into the lower reservoir for the scheme can begin - opponents of the scheme have claimed that the water may be contaminated.
However, independent sampling and testing of both surface and ground water at the site, including 17 samples taken since 2012 from the lower quarry where ordnance was dismantled by the RAF in the 1970s, show no evidence of contamination.
The licence application by SPH also covers occasional discharges of surplus water during the scheme’s expected operational lifetime of 125 years or more. NRW has already approved an application from SPH to fill the scheme’s reservoirs by gradually abstracting water from Llyn Padarn.
“Llyn Padarn is a hugely valuable ecosystem and an important recreational resource for local people and visitors to North Wales,” said SPH managing director Dave Holmes.
“Even though the independent professional sampling and testing has shown the water to be uncontaminated, we are committed to regular sampling across the site before dewatering can begin. Dewatering will be stopped if at any time continuous monitoring gives reason for concern. The process will also be paused as the water level nears the bottom of the quarry to enable further independent sampling and testing to be carried out.”
Scheme will bring a £100m investment to Gwynedd
SPH has said that the scheme will bring a £100m+ investment to Gwynedd. The three- to four-year-long construction of the facility is expected to create a substantial regional economic uplift with hundreds of construction workers needing to be housed and fed locally. When operational, the site will support up to 30 skilled full-time jobs, along with work for regional contractors and suppliers, all of which will last for the lifetime of the facility of 125 years or more.
Cllr Mandy Williams-Davies, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member (Economy) said:
“The granting of planning permission for an underground grid connection is a positive development for this important scheme. From the outset, the developers have consistently proposed an underground connection to the grid, and we welcome the fact that the scheme is progressing on this basis.”
The Glyn Rhonwy scheme was designed in consultation with Gwynedd Council, Cadw, Countryside Council for Wales, Natural Resources Wales and AECOM.
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