Harry Potter fans force cable diversion of multimillion pipeline project to protect Dobby’s ‘grave’

A €500 million electricity interconnector between Ireland and Wales was rerouted due to an effort by Harry Potter fans to protect a memorial to Dobby the House Elf, according to the project's manager. The 500-megawatt Greenlink interconnector facilitates electricity import from Britain to Ireland and allows for the export of surplus renewable energy generated in Ireland.

The project required the laying of a 190km-long high voltage electricity cable between Great Island, Wexford, and Freshwater West beach, Pembrokeshire. This cable site was the filming location for a scene involving Dobby's death in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)."

Project manager Simon Ludlam disclosed to the Energy Revolution podcast that the cable route had to be altered following hundreds of calls from Dobby fans. He stated that the new route had been agreed upon with authorities and landowners. However, following an interview with BBC News, his office received a deluge of calls. "I mean hundreds of calls," Ludlam recounted.

Ludlam's colleague informed him that the cable would be running straight through Dobby's grave. Ludlam initially dismissed the concerns, saying that Dobby was merely a fictitious character in a fictional book. However, he soon realized the concerns were very serious. The project team collaborated with planners to reroute the cable, ensuring it would avoid Dobby's grave and even some real Bronze Age remains.

Despite the initial concern, a lot of people were pleased with the outcome. Ludlam added, "It's the first time we've moved for a fictitious character."