First Ireland-U.K. Electricity Link Powers Up

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- The first electricity link between Ireland and the U.K. will go into operation in the next fortnight.

The official opening ceremony for the landmark link was presided over by Ireland's head of state, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Irish and British energy ministers and the European Union's (E.U.'s) Energy Commissioner, Günther Oettinger.

The EirGrid East-West Interconnector is a 260-kilometre underground and undersea cable that between Deeside in north Wales and Woodland, County Meath in Ireland. It is capable of transporting up to 500-megawatts (MW) of electricity both ways, enough to power approximately 300,000 homes. The cable will ensure security of supply as well as open up the U.K. market as an export market for excess Irish renewable energy expected to be developed in the coming years.

Construction on the €600 million ($763.8 million) interconnector cable began last October, and saw the laying of 180km of undersea and approximately 80km of underground cable. For additional information, see October 28, 2011, article - Ireland-U.K. Interconnector Project Begins.

"The government asked EirGrid to deliver on this strategic infrastructure by 2012...and it was an achievement delivering the complex project on time and approximately €30 million under budget," explained EirGrid Chief Executive, Dermot Byrne. "The Interconnector ties our energy markets closer together. It gives all concerned additional assurance of supply and it is the single most important step in allowing Ireland to exploit and to export its enormous resources of renewable energy. Critically it also allows us to access energy from Britain and from across the European continent which will result in more competition to the energy market and put downward pressure on prices".

EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger, who officially opened the East West Interconnector, added: "The need for energy infrastructure development is one of the biggest energy challenges facing the E.U.. The need for action is clear. Ireland's East West Interconnector will double electricity interconnection between the U.K. and Ireland and will provide a greater opportunity to trade electricity between the two markets. It is a key part of building a single European energy market."

The cable will start commercial operation on October 1.

The Irish Wind Energy Association (Kildare, Ireland) estimates that Ireland has a wind generation potential of 6,000 MW from onshore wind and 4,000 MW from offshore, to meet its European Union (E.U.) 2020 renewable targets. Ireland needs less than half of that each year, which leaves up to 5,000 MW that could be exported to the U.K. This could be worth around €1.6 billion ($2.3 billion) annually.

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