ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades 230V use in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland?

Lyle,

I will check it out down here too with some contacts I have in ESB. I know we were definitely on 220/380 for a LONG time but references to 230V seem to emerge quite a while before they did in the rest of Europe.

I know the two companies have always had a very pragmatic and non-politically driven North-South cooperation based purely on common sense so it wouldn't at all supprise me.

What transmission voltages are used in Northern Ireland?

The transmission voltages in use here are:


400kV - operates out of Moneypoint, the largest station in the country only.

220kV - more widespread.

110kV - the original grid voltage going back to 1927

North-South interconnector: 275kV

Direct connections cross-boarder Letterkenny - Strabane at 110kV

ESB Networks Distribution:

38kV
20kV
10kV (being phased out)

Old ESB documentation describes

0,38kV/0,22kV ... obviously a bit of a Siemens influence


All transmission networks (i.e. 110-400kV) are now all operated by Eirgrid... we have a rather strange setup... ESB retains ownership of the National Grid as an asset, but Eirgrid (another state owned company) controls and operates it... this was a tweek to comply with EU regulations while still keeping the grid public. The privitisation of ESB is quite unlikely at the moment due to the current state of the stock market worldwide and the lack of public apetite for it.

www.eirgrid.ie gives you a wealth of information including current system status, daily load reports, maps etc etc.

I was amazed they put so much data online



[This message has been edited by djk (edited 01-06-2004).]

I never realized that N.I. used anything other than the standard British transmission and distribution voltages. Presumably this was due to influence from south of the border?

For those not familiar with the British system, the standard levels are 400, 275, 132, 66, 33, and 11kV. There are also a few old 6.6kV systems still in use in a few areas.

DJK,
Firstly, you posted a picture in another thread showing what appears to be a seaside town. I feel that I recognise the place! Please tell me where it is.

Transmission; 275, 110, distribution, 33 and 11.

Paul, not sure of why 110 but it served us well in the early years and is still the spine of the system altough the 275s are shot up the cenre avoiding the costal areas. We used to have significant problems with uncovered 110 subs on the coast where salt spray caused havoc.

Lyle:
The town is Cobh, Co. Cork... a few miles outside Cork City. It was the last port of call for the Titanic

Lyle & Paul:

110kV formed the backbone of the ESB grid in The Republic of Ireland (or what was the Irish Freestate before 1932) since about 1927. (220kV and 400kV are also used thesedays)

I suspect that in 1927 there was no particular UK standard established so it might have made a lot of sence for NIE to have settled on 110kV for various reasons. Economies of scale .. xformers etc and simple interconnection possibilities across the boarder.

The choice of 110kV in the ESB system is quite likely to have been influenced either by Siemens, AEG or ASEA (now ABB). Do 110kV systems exsist elsewhere?

I also suspect that in the early days that there may have been cross-boarder interconnections at 110kV.. there is certainly one connection at that voltage between Letterkenny (Co. Donegal Rep. of Ireland) and Strabane (Co. Tyrone Northern Ireland)

Remember that Northern Ireland's grid wasn't connected to the UK until recently and even today the only interconnector is high voltage DC.. so it has no direct AC link so it didn't really have to observe British transmission voltage norms. The lines are also relatively short and the power stations relatively small compared to the UK so huge high tension lines wern't an issue as it's only serving a small and relatively low density population.

ESB and Northern Ireland Electricty were always extremely practical companies who did whatever was the most sensible thing to do from a technical stand point completely ignoring politics etc etc.. I would also have to say, having had experience of dealing with both companies, they both have long and outstanding track records.

[This message has been edited by djk (edited 01-09-2004).]