National Grid is currently replacing the underground cables between Dinorwig power station and the substation at Pentir. Originally installed in the 1970s, the cables comprise three circuits that connect into Dinorwig via a tunnel portal.
Through the 40-year life of the power station, the tunnels have become an important maternity and hibernation roost for the rare lesser horseshoe bats and a day roost for Soprano and Pipistrelle bats. Several other species also use the tunnels. At its peak, 191 lesser horseshoe bats were recorded making the site regionally important and of high conservation significance.
Charlie Roberts at National Grid said: “At Dinorwig, we have put in place several mitigation measures over the years and, more recently, installed a permanent acoustic barrier alongside the maternity roost to reduce any noise and disruption during construction works.”
National Grid is helping to restore bat roosting sites, habitats and flights paths across several operational sites and planned construction facilities – including at the Hinkley Connection Project, where ecologists discovered the presence of bats during assessments works at a local farm.
National Grid owns around 1,800 hectares of non-operational land, which is made up of a variety of rich natural habitats. It has committed to improve the environmental value of this land in the UK by at least 10 percent by 2026 and has already achieved a 7.9 percent improvement on non-operational land since FY2021. Last year, all National Grid construction projects committed to deliver a minimum 10% net gain or more in environmental value, with some committed to 15% and higher.
