According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on August 10, the UK is laying a 200-kilometer cable to connect the UK's national electricity grid with Ireland. However, this project, costing £430 million, was unexpectedly protested by fans of the Harry Potter series novels and movies, forcing a re-plan of the route.
This power line project, named Greenlink, will connect Wales in the UK with West Mercia in Ireland, allowing both countries to share excess renewable energy, enhancing energy security and increasing the power transmission capacity between the two nations. According to the initial plan of the project, the cable will pass through West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The Greenlink project plans to lay cables connecting Wales in the UK with Ireland.
However, this news sparked protests from fans of the 'Harry Potter' series, as there was a 'grave' of a fictional character from the work at Freshwater West Beach.
The "Harry Potter" series is a novel created by British author J.K. Rowling, which has been adapted into several movies. The scene where the elf Dobby dies in the movie "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was filmed at Freshwater West Beach.
According to reports, although this beach has been designated as an ecologically sensitive area by the UK, many fans of the “Harry Potter” series still ignore the warnings issued by the land management agency, the UK National Trust. They leave stones and socks with the words “Dobby’s grave lies here” on the beach, thus creating a “graveyard”.
After the plan for laying submarine cables was made public, the project management company Etchea Energy received a large number of calls from fans of the Harry Potter series. They demanded that the company change its plan.
The Doabie “Tomb” on West Beach in Pembroke County, Wales, UK – The Guardian
Etchea Energy CEO Simon Radlam revealed that the company received hundreds of calls, which confused him. It wasn’t until a colleague told him that this was because the cables were going to pass through Moreby’s ‘graveyard’.
Ladram said that even with his colleague’s explanation, he still found it incomprehensible. He said, “Who is Dobey? I don’t know Dobey. He’s a fictional character in a fictional novel; the whole book is made up of fiction. What are you really talking about?”
The Guardian reported that under external pressure, Etchea Energy ultimately decided to adjust its plan and hire professionals to redesign a new route that would avoid what is known as the “graveyard”. Radlam said, “Many people are very happy about this. The project is now progressing smoothly, and Dobie is also pleased.”
However, the changes in the route also introduced new problems. According to the new plan, the cables will be placed ‘very close’ to a Bronze Age site in Wales. Documents from the Pembrokeshire Council indicate that this site may be related to human burials. Archaeologists discovered a pottery jar at this site, which dates back to between 1700 and 1500 BC.
