Some 630 landowners are expected to be affected by the North-South Interconnector electricity line, which this week received the green light from Northern Ireland planning authorities to proceed.

The proposed line starts at a substation in Turleenan, Co Tyrone, running through Co Armagh and then into counties Monaghan, Cavan and Meath.

The project had already received permission to go ahead in the Republic of Ireland. Some 450 of the landowners are in the Republic of Ireland and 180 in Northern Ireland.

Compensation will be paid to all landowners for hosting the infrastructure, in addition to compensation for crop loss or land damage during the construction phase, a spokesperson for the Department of Communications told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Currently, no compensation scheme is in place for 400kV lines

“In Northern Ireland, the compensation scheme for hosting the infrastructure is based around an easement corridor underneath the overhead line.

“Currently, no compensation scheme is in place for 400kV lines. However, the Department understands that EirGrid will be engaging directly with landowners in order to agree payments in the coming months,” he said.

“SONI and EirGrid [the developers] will now engage with landowners in relation to land access,” the spokesperson said.

Construction will begin once the builders of the line, ESB Networks and NIE Networks, carry out tendering and procurement processes.

The Department does not have any role in the delivery of electricity infrastructure on the ground, but expects EirGrid and ESB Networks to engage openly and productively with those living close to the route of the interconnector.