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Released October 22, 2019 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Ireland has secured funding of 530 million euro ($585 million) to build its first power interconnector to Europe's energy grid.
The funding for the Celtic Interconnector has been approved by the European Commission (EC) and is classed as a European Union (EU) "Project of Common Interest" (PCI), meaning it is considered to be a high-priority energy infrastructure project. The Celtic Interconnector will connect Ireland's electricity network to France via a 500-kilometre (km) high-voltage direct-current (HDVC) cable that will have a capacity of roughly 700 megawatts (MW), enough to power 450,000 households. The 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) power link will improve security of electricity supply in Ireland and France by providing a reliable high-capacity link between the two countries.
The project is being developed by Irish grid operator EirGrid and its French counterpart Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE), following five years of feasibility studies. The project is vital for Ireland's energy security, as once the U.K. leaves the EU via the Brexit process, Ireland will have no electricity interconnection with any member of the European Union. By providing a direct electricity link with mainland Europe, Ireland will be connected to the EU's Internal Energy Market post-Brexit. Ireland's government also believes it will lead to lower electricity prices for consumers due to increased competition.
Ireland's Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, welcomed the funding: "This is a really significant investment for Ireland and will help us to conduct a magnificent feat of engineering. The Celtic Interconnector will help to lower electricity prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide greater energy security. It's a direct result of our close working relationship with the European Commission, including President Juncker, and France and President Macron, who will be our closest EU neighbours following Brexit. It's a signal of European solidarity at this crucial time."
EirGrid's Chief Executive Officer Mark Foley added: ""The Celtic Interconnector is a key part of our strategic goal to transform Ireland's power system. In the coming years, we will break new ground in the amount of renewable electricity we manage on the electricity system. Interconnection with France supports this as it makes the power system more resilient and efficient. This added strength will become increasingly important as renewables become the primary energy source on the national grid. Our staff are on the ground in Cork regularly, engaging with local communities and ensuring they have a real say in the project's design. With this grant and with the support of those communities, we can envisage that construction on the project could start as early as 2022 and be completed by 2026."
EirGrid is seeking feedback on three possible landfall locations on the coast of East Cork, in southern Ireland, for the cable as well a shortlist of six proposed locations for a converter station. In northern France, the interconnector will land on the coast of Brittany, close to the city of Brest.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
The funding for the Celtic Interconnector has been approved by the European Commission (EC) and is classed as a European Union (EU) "Project of Common Interest" (PCI), meaning it is considered to be a high-priority energy infrastructure project. The Celtic Interconnector will connect Ireland's electricity network to France via a 500-kilometre (km) high-voltage direct-current (HDVC) cable that will have a capacity of roughly 700 megawatts (MW), enough to power 450,000 households. The 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) power link will improve security of electricity supply in Ireland and France by providing a reliable high-capacity link between the two countries.
The project is being developed by Irish grid operator EirGrid and its French counterpart Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE), following five years of feasibility studies. The project is vital for Ireland's energy security, as once the U.K. leaves the EU via the Brexit process, Ireland will have no electricity interconnection with any member of the European Union. By providing a direct electricity link with mainland Europe, Ireland will be connected to the EU's Internal Energy Market post-Brexit. Ireland's government also believes it will lead to lower electricity prices for consumers due to increased competition.
Ireland's Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, welcomed the funding: "This is a really significant investment for Ireland and will help us to conduct a magnificent feat of engineering. The Celtic Interconnector will help to lower electricity prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide greater energy security. It's a direct result of our close working relationship with the European Commission, including President Juncker, and France and President Macron, who will be our closest EU neighbours following Brexit. It's a signal of European solidarity at this crucial time."
EirGrid's Chief Executive Officer Mark Foley added: ""The Celtic Interconnector is a key part of our strategic goal to transform Ireland's power system. In the coming years, we will break new ground in the amount of renewable electricity we manage on the electricity system. Interconnection with France supports this as it makes the power system more resilient and efficient. This added strength will become increasingly important as renewables become the primary energy source on the national grid. Our staff are on the ground in Cork regularly, engaging with local communities and ensuring they have a real say in the project's design. With this grant and with the support of those communities, we can envisage that construction on the project could start as early as 2022 and be completed by 2026."
EirGrid is seeking feedback on three possible landfall locations on the coast of East Cork, in southern Ireland, for the cable as well a shortlist of six proposed locations for a converter station. In northern France, the interconnector will land on the coast of Brittany, close to the city of Brest.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
