Story perspectives

Greenlink Cable Rerouted to Safeguard Bronze Age Urn

8/10/2026

Summary

Simon Ludlam Reroutes

Simon Ludlam rerouted the Greenlink cable at Freshwater beach after fans called to object to a Dobby memorial.
The diversion kept the line away from a Bronze Age collared urn dated c. 1700-1500 BC.
The 500 MW bidirectional interconnector, commissioned in 2025, links Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Directional drilling beneath the beach and dunes avoided open-cut trenching, prompting the National Trust to warn visitors not to leave items on the coast.

Summary

Greenlink Lowers Prices

The £430 million Greenlink interconnector, Europe’s first privately-funded cross-border renewable link, was promoted to lower electricity prices.
The 190-km cable links the National Grid substation in Pembroke to EirGrid’s Great Island site in County Wexford, Ireland.
The Dobby memorial on Freshwater West beach attracts about 75,000 visitors annually, boosting local tourism revenue.
Freshwater West is a protected area that supports rare birds, orchids, lizards, grey seals and harbour porpoises.

History

Historical Context

Britain’s offshore wind journey began with the Round 1 pilot North Hoyle farm, completed in 2003 as part of the NFFO-driven testbed that delivered over 1 GW of early capacity. Decades of cost cuts and a 2022 installed base of 11.26 GW have paved the way for today’s £430 million, 500-MW Greenlink interconnector, linking the Pembroke sub-station to Ireland’s grid.

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Simon Ludlam Reroutes

Simon Ludlam rerouted the Greenlink cable at Freshwater beach after fans called to object to a Dobby memorial.
The diversion kept the line away from a Bronze Age collared urn dated c. 1700-1500 BC.
The 500 MW bidirectional interconnector, commissioned in 2025, links Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Directional drilling beneath the beach and dunes avoided open-cut trenching, prompting the National Trust to warn visitors not to leave items on the coast.

1 / 3