EirGrid, RTE Push Ireland-France Interconnector Forward

In the presence of the French President Francois Hollande and An Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny, EirGrid and RTE today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to move to the next phase of development of the Celtic Interconnector Project.

Following the completion of feasibility studies over the past five years, EirGrid and RTE today agreed to progress the project to the next phase of its development, “Initial Design and Pre-Consultation”.

This phase will take two years and comprises an in-depth economic assessment of the project; technical studies and initial technical design specifications; environmental studies; and pre-consultation in preparation for permit granting procedures in France and Ireland.

It will also include the investigation of landing points for a subsea cable and connection points to the electricity transmission grids in France and Ireland.

Upon completion of this phase, EirGrid and RTE will then decide whether to progress to the next phase of development, culminating in a final decision as to whether or not to proceed with construction of the project. Should it progress, the interconnector will go live in 2025.

The proposed EUR 1 billion subsea electricity cable between Ireland and France will have a capacity of approximately 700MW, enough to power 450,000 households.