Country Ireland, France From Ireland To France | General direction north-south Passes through Celtic Sea Partners EirGrid, RTE | |
Celtic Interconnector is a proposed 700 MW HVDC submarine power cable between the southern coast of Ireland and the north-west coast of France.
The project is a cooperation between the Irish TSO EirGrid and French TSO RTE for the purpose of improving security of supply, reducing consumer electricity costs and supporting the development of renewable energy.
Project
The electrical interconnector would be the first between the two countries, has an expected cost of €1bn and a planned capacity of 700 MW i.e. an annual transmission capacity of 6.1 TWh.
Of its length of 600 km, 500 km would pass through Irish, British and French waters of the Celtic Sea.
In July 2016 after completion of a feasibility study the two countries agreed to proceed with a two-year planning phase.
The planning phase includes an economic assessment, environmental considerations and will determine the placement of the cable and onshore stations, with a decision whether to carry out the project is foreseen for 2020 or 2021.
If built, the cable is expected to be operational by the 2025.