EirGrid and fund administrator SECAD to host biodiversity webinar on June 12
May 29 – EirGrid, the developer of the Celtic Interconnector, the subsea link between Ireland and France, will host a webinar with fund administrator SECAD Partnership, to provide information to communities about how to develop biodiversity projects in their area.
The webinar, which will take place from 7pm to 8pm online on June 12 next, will provide information to communities interested in applying for the next phase of funding from the Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund, through its biodiversity stream.
Over €800,000 in funding has already been allocated to community groups and not-for-profit organisations in the Celtic Interconnector project area, with over €190,000 of this distributed to biodiversity projects.
Ahead of the next phase of funding, the electricity transmission grid operator and its community benefit fund administration partner will host the online event, which will include advice from community groups who have already successfully developed biodiversity projects.
Along with this, the webinar will hear expert advice from EirGrid’s Senior Lead Ecologist, Robert Fennelly, about the key ingredients for a successful biodiversity project application for the Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund, and information from SECAD’s WildWork ecologist, William O’Halloran, on what is involved in developing community biodiversity projects to support the local environment.
Speaking ahead of the event, EirGrid’s Senior Lead Ecologist, Robert Fennelly, said: “EirGrid is embracing the shift in thinking needed to go beyond simply protecting nature, to actually restoring it, as we ramp up project delivery to meet our renewable energy targets.”
Having a community benefit fund policy with a dedicated biodiversity stream available to communities who host key grid projects, helps us to work together to respond to the twinned biodiversity and climate crises at both industry level and wider society level.
I would encourage communities in east Cork eager to get involved, to come along and hear more about what can be achieved through collaboration,” added Fennelly.
To register to attend the webinar, visit www.secad.ie/news/eirgrid-
