Latest news with #CelticInterconnector
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Work starts on Celtic Interconnector as ship arrives in Cork to lay underwater cable
Work laying the underwater cable for the first electricity interconnector between Ireland and mainland Europe has begun. It marks a major milestone in the huge €1bn Celtic Interconnector scheme to link the electricity grids of the two countries. A specialist marine vessel, Calypso, arrived from Norway into the Port of Cork this week, with a huge cable spool on its deck, to begin laying an 84km section of the estimated 500km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable required to link the coast of East Cork and Brittany in northern France. While Ireland and France both use high voltage alternative current (HVAC) technology to move electricity around their networks and supply consumers, HVDC technology is best for moving electricity over long distances. The crew of the Calypso will lay HVDC cable on the seabed but it will be buried by two other vessels. The work is weather sensitive and is being done in summer to maximise the best weather conditions. Marine survey teams have already mapped the seabed to chart the best route for the cable, and EirGrid said it is liaising with local fisheries and marine users throughout the work. Some of the 84km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable on board the vessel. Once fully installed, the entire 575km Celtic Interconnector will run from East Cork to the north-west of Brittany and will allow for the exchange of 700MW of electricity - enough to power some 450,000 homes. On the Irish side, the cable will make landfall at Youghal, where work has been underway at Claycastle Beach in recent weeks to prepare its landing point. The project has also involved extensive cable installation work along roadsides and through fields across East Cork to transfer the electricity from the landing point at Youghal to a massive new convertor station which has been built at Ballyadam, near Carrigtwohill, where internal fitout is continuing, and onwards to a grid connection point in Knockraha. The convertor building will convert the HVDC electricity arriving from France to HVAC for use in the Irish network, and vice versa for the power that may be exported from Ireland to France. Similar onshore work is ongoing in Brittany. The Celtic Interconnector project is being developed by EirGrid, which operates and develops Ireland's electricity grid, and its French equivalent, Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTÉ), and is being co-funded by the EU Connecting Europe Fund. Some of the staff from EirGrid and the crew from the specialist marine vessel, Calypso. EirGrid's chief financial officer, Michael Behan, said the start of this crucial phase of the project really shows the progress being made on what is a key energy project for Ireland. 'This feat of engineering that will take place over the coming weeks is testament to the collaboration, innovation and care required to deliver this critical infrastructure,' he said. 'We remain grateful for the continued patience and support of communities, landowners, and stakeholders as we progress this project.' It is estimated that construction of the entire project will be complete by 2028, a delay on original timelines which EirGrid has blamed partly on weather conditions at times.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Laying of submarine cable for Celtic Interconnector gets underway
A landmark moment was reached this week on the Celtic Interconnector project, as laying of the submarine cable commenced on the key energy project linking the electricity grids of Ireland and France. The next phase of the project was signalled by the arrival of the specialist marine vessel Calypso, which will lay the high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable for the project, which is being developed with EirGrid and its French equivalent, Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) and co-funded by the EU Connecting Europe Fund. When complete, it will be the first interconnector between Ireland and continental Europe, travelling from east Cork to the north-west coast of Brittany. The vessel, which arrived from Norway into the Port of Cork, has started the cable laying along an 84km section of the route. When fully complete, the HVDC cable will span 500km from east Cork to the north-west of Brittany and will allow the exchange of 700MW of electricity, equal to powering 450,000 homes. The cable is being laid onto the seabed by the Calypso, with burial works done by two further vessels. The cable lay and burial operations are weather sensitive and are being carried out in summer, to align with the best weather conditions. Marine survey teams have mapped the seabed in advance of works to chart the optimal route for the cable, with EirGrid liaising with local fisheries and marine users throughout. "EirGrid is proud to welcome this latest phase of works on the Celtic Interconnector project, which really shows the progress being made on this key energy project for Ireland," said Michael Behan, CFO, Eirgrid. "This feat of engineering that will take place over the coming weeks is testament to the collaboration, innovation and care required to deliver this critical infrastructure. We remain grateful for the continued patience and support of communities, landowners, and stakeholders as we progress this project." The cable laying installation is just one element of this strategic infrastructure project being developed by EirGrid and its French counterpart, Réseau de Transport d'Électricité. The project's onshore phase has seen approximately 10km of high voltage alternating current cable installed in roads, with HVDC cabling works currently being progressed. Meanwhile, civil works at the project's converter station, located at Ballyadam, near Carrigtwohill, are near completion, with internal fitouts of the converter hall progressing well.
Irish Independent
11-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Delay hits €1bn undersea electricity interconnector between Ireland and France
Project that could power 450,000 homes pushed out to at least spring of 2028 The landing point is near Youghal, Co Cork Progress continues at the converter station site in Ballyadam, Co Cork The first electricity interconnector between Ireland and mainland Europe is facing delays that will push back its completion date to at least spring 2028. The €1bn Celtic Interconnector between Cork and France was due to begin operating in early 2027. It would allow Ireland to import power to boost the country's strained electricity supply, serving up to 450,000 households at full capacity if needed. However, Eirgrid and its French partners, Reseau de Transport d'Electricite (RTE), said there has been a delay to the manufacture and installation of the undersea cables. 'Adjustments have been required to the sub-sea marine cable programme, which has resulted in an adapted burial programme, extending the time required,' Eirgrid said. The project has been under construction since 2023 'As a result, the project's commissioning date is now expected for spring 2028, rather than 2027.' It warned that the timeline could be stretched further, saying: 'Adverse weather conditions could impact this date, if marine cable burial cannot be undertaken. 'However, the programme is scheduled for spring and summer to take advantage of more optimal conditions.' The flagship energy project has been in the planning for over a decade and under construction since 2023. It received more than €500m in EU funding, while the rest came from Eirgrid and RTE. The landing point is near Youghal, Co Cork Further unspecified costs will be incurred now because of the delays, but Eirgrid said the EU would be asked to extend its grant aid to help cover them. Significant works on the 575km interconnector have been carried out on land in both countries. The landing point in Ireland is near Youghal, Co Cork, with the high voltage cables running inland to a converter station and substation at Ballyadam and Knockraha between Midleton and Cork city. Works are due to finish there next year, while similar works at the French landing point in Brittany are also well under way. The 500km undersea element of the project is the more complex undertaking, and it is this that has run into difficulties. It is a setback from an energy-security and climate-action perspective Eirgrid said work had otherwise been on schedule and a hold-up was not unexpected for a project of this nature. 'It is not unusual for timelines to evolve on complex cross-border infrastructure projects of this scale, particularly where marine works are involved,' it said. However, it is a setback from an energy- security and climate-action perspective. Ireland has begun importing significant amounts of electricity via two interconnectors in the UK, which has reduced the need to burn gas to generate power domestically and has enabled national greenhouse gas emissions to fall. Increased interconnection is also promoted as a way to boost electricity supply to meet the country's fast-growing demand until offshore wind projects get under way. In the longer term, it is proposed that Ireland could benefit from interconnection with the wider European market via France, with potential to export surplus electricity when the offshore wind sector takes off. The Celtic Interconnector will have the capacity to carry 700 megawatts of electricity, roughly equivalent to the output of a large offshore windfarm.
