AFP, published on Friday, November 25, 2022 at 2:13 p.m.
Paris and Dublin concluded an agreement on Friday to launch the future “Celtic Interconnector” electrical interconnection which will connect the Irish network to the European continent by 2026, announced the French Ministry of Energy Transition.
This 700 MW high voltage submarine link will connect the south coast of Ireland to the north of France, covering 575 km, which will allow the direct exchange of electricity and in particular for Ireland to export electricity. electricity produced by off-shore wind turbines.
This “first interconnection of Ireland with continental Europe (…) will make it possible to import and export enough electricity to supply 450,000 households”, indicated the ministry in a joint press release with the Irish authorities, the European investment bank and network operators.
The interconnection will connect the town of La Martyre in Brittany to the village of Knockraha in County Cork in Ireland.
This connection is part of the context of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, while Ireland has so far only been linked to its British neighbour.
The infrastructure “will contribute to securing the French and European electricity supply, and will accelerate the use of renewable energies throughout Europe”, declared the Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher, quoted in the press release.
“This means that we can import energy from Europe when we need it and, above all, that we can also export energy, especially when we start to realize the enormous potential of our offshore wind capacity. “, welcomed Eamon Ryan, the Irish Minister for the Environment.
The two ministers and the Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, were in Paris this Friday for the signing of the technical and financial agreements.
The agreements provide for construction with Siemens Energy and Nexans, the French cable manufacturer, and a financial contribution of 800 million euros by the European Investment Bank, Danske Bank, Barclays and BNP.
Developed by EirGrid and RTE, the two public electricity transmission operators of Ireland and France respectively, the project, whose work will begin in 2023 for commissioning in 2026, has a total cost of 1.623 billion euros. euros.
The project, co-financed by Europe, was reconfirmed this month despite a budget slippage linked to difficulties in supplying cables and stations.
This interconnection “will use 320 kV HVDC (high voltage direct current) technology, using a 500 km submarine cable as well as a 40 km underground land cable in Brittany and another 35 km in County Cork”, explained Nexans.
