Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment Public Consultation: Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project
Date: 07-03-2025
In accordance with the provisions of the 1991 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (“the Espoo Convention”), transboundary States are required to engage in transboundary consultation, including with members of the public, in respect of projects likely to have significant effects on the environment of neighbouring States as part of the environmental impact assessment of a proposed development. For this purpose, the transboundary State in whose territory the project is intended to be carried out is required to send to the affected State, no later than when informing its own public, a description of the project and any available information on its possible transboundary impact.
As noted above, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recently received information in the form of a letter of notification dated 31 January 2025 from PINS, relating to an application for development consent for the proposed Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project development that is now in the pre-examination stage of their development consent order process.
The proposed development is comprised of (but not limited to) a subsea electrical cable to be installed from the boundary of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to a proposed landfall site at Cornborough Range in Devon, UK. The subsea cable comprises approximately 370km of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cables in two bundled pairs. From the landfall, the cable is routed onshore for approximately 14km to two converter stations on land to the west of Alverdiscott 400kV substation. The converter stations would be connected to Alverdiscott 400kV substation by High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) cables. A replacement 400kV Substation at Alverdiscott may be included in the Proposed Development.
The UK Secretary of State has determined that the proposed development requires an environmental impact assessment and consequently they have conducted a transboundary EIA screening. The initial transboundary screening exercise determined that the proposed development may have transboundary environmental impacts in Ireland that included significant impacts on commercial fishing, fish and shellfish, marine mammals and turtles, other marine users and shipping and navigation. The second transboundary screening concluded that the transboundary environmental impacts would not be significant impacts.
Screening Assessment
The letter of 31 January 2025 provides details of where further information on the proposed development can be found on the PINS website – see also link provided under “How to participate” below.
How to Participate
All documentation related to the development consent application for the proposed development, including additional or amending documentation accepted at the discretion of the PINS, is available to view on its website at:
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010164
Further information and documents can be found here: https://consult.mayo.ie/en/consultation/transboundary-environmental-impact-assessment-public-consultation-xlinks-morocco-uk-power-project