Landowners urged to give their views

SONI the Electricity Transmission System Operator for Northern Ireland operates and plans the transmission grid. This includes interconnection with neighbouring grids and the operation of the wholesale electricity market.

SONI has launched ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future’, a new report that details four innovative potential approaches to fundamentally change the grid to achieve Northern Ireland’s clean energy ambitions, while maintaining an affordable and secure supply for consumers.

The grid operator is now hosting a fourteen week public consultation on the report as it seeks feedback on ways to deliver a clean electricity grid for Northern Ireland by 2030.

The four approaches outlined by SONI could result in up to twenty significant grid development projects to transfer renewable electricity from the north and west to the east, including to the Greater Belfast area where there is most demand.

In the report, SONI also details the possible use of new technologies to limit the number of projects needed and is suggesting that offshore wind and policies to influence the location of generators and future large energy users (such as big industry and data centres) could impact the scale of change to the grid.

SONI’s Agricultural Liaison Officer, Fergal Keenan is asking landowners and farmers across Northern Ireland, to provide feedback through the public consultation and be part of this decade of change:“With almost 50% of the electricity used last year coming from renewable sources, Northern Ireland has achieved a lot. However, if ambitious future targets are to be met, the amount of renewable generation connected to the transmission system will need to double in the next decade.

“This will require unprecedented changes and the transmission network will have to be made stronger and more flexible to carry increasing amounts of clean energy like wind and solar.

“These changes will affect everyone and will at times be challenging. That’s why we’re hosting a public consultation to find an agreed approach. Everyone should have a say.

“At SONI we are proud of the relationships we have built throughout the farming community and I would encourage all landowners and those with an interest in how future infrastructure will be developed to get involved in this consultation and share their views on the best way forward.

“Shaping Our Electricity Future will be the roadmap to how we decarbonise the power system in Northern Ireland, which will be central to achieving our Net Zero carbon emission commitments. It will also feed into the Economy Minister’s future energy policy and will help to deliver future clean energy targets.”

The four approaches set out by SONI in the report are as follows:

1. Generation-Led: Government policy would influence where renewable energy is generated – favouring locations where the grid is already strong

2. Developer-Led: In this approach, we continue to connect new sources of renewable electricity as requested in any location

3. Technology-Led: This approach uses technical solutions to make the grid more resilient so it can better handle the variable nature of renewable energy

4. Demand-Led: Government policy determines where future large energy users such as big industry and data centres would locate in Northern Ireland

Each of the four approaches requires investments in grid development projects throughout Northern Ireland, with costs ranging from £113 million to £535 million.

Over the next fourteen weeks, SONI will hold a series of workshops, meetings and forums to inform people and to gather feedback that will directly influence the final roadmap for the transformation of the grid, which is due to be published before the end of the year.

People can find out more about the public consultation and how to have their say in Shaping Northern Ireland’s Electricity Future by visiting https://consult.soni.ltd.uk

You can also participate by emailing [email protected] or via post to Shaping Our Electricity Future, SONI, 12 Manse Road, Belfast, BT6 9RT.