high-voltage direct current
A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system (also called a power superhighway or an electrical superhighway) uses direct current (DC) for electric power transmission, in contrast with the more common alternating curre ...
As of May 2022, the project has reached financial close, and construction has started.
Offshore construction was scheduled for 2022-23. Trial operation and commissioning is planned for 2024.
Route
The cable will run between
EirGrid
EirGrid plc is the state-owned electric power transmission operator in Ireland. It is a public limited company registered under the Companies Acts; its shares are held by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. It is one of ...
's Great Island substation in County Wexford, and National Grid's Pembroke substation in Pembrokeshire, with the cable making landfall at Baginbun Beach near
Fethard-on-Sea
Fethard-on-Sea or Fethard () is a village in southwest County Wexford in Ireland. It lies on the R734 road on the eastern side of the Hook peninsula, between Waterford Harbour and Bannow Bay.
The village had a population of 311 as of the ...
in Ireland and at
Freshwater West
Freshwater West (also known as ''Fresh West'') is a beach near Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire in West Wales. It lies along the B4319 road and is part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Freshwater West, noted for its strong waves and current ...
beach near
Castlemartin Castlemartin may refer to:
* Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire, a village in Wales
** Castlemartin (hundred), a former administrative unit in Wales named after the village
**Castlemartin Training Area
The Castlemartin Training Area is located within ...
in Wales. The total length will be , of which will be under the sea.
Specification
The HVDC link is to be configured as a
symmetrical monopole
A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system (also called a power superhighway or an electrical superhighway) uses direct current (DC) for electric power transmission, in contrast with the more common alternating curren ...
, with DC voltages of ±320kV, and nominal power rating of 500MW. The project is expected to cost €400million.
Project history
Subsea surveys were undertaken in 2018, and public consultations in 2019.
In April 2020, the company submitted three planning applications for onshore construction in Wales.
The project still required planning permission and marine licences in both the United Kingdom and in Ireland, but the process of procuring construction contracts had started.
In March 2021, the project was granted a licence to install the sea cable in UK waters, with a similar licence for Irish waters still pending. , commissioning of the interconnector was planned for the end of 2023.
In January 2022, construction work on converter stations started.
In March 2022, the company announced that it had reached financial close.
As of September 2022, work had started on the cable route from Great Island to Baginbun with completion of the project now expected in 2024.
See also
*
Energy in Ireland
Ireland is a net energy importer. Ireland's import dependency decreased to 85% in 2014 (from 89% in 2013).
The cost of all energy imports to Ireland was approximately €5.7 billion, down from €6.5 billion (revised) in 2013 due mainly to f ...
*
Energy in the United Kingdom
Energy in the United Kingdom came mostly from fossil fuels in 2021. Total energy consumption in the United Kingdom was 142.0million tonnes of oil equivalent (1,651 TWh) in 2019. In 2014, the UK had an energy consumption ''per capita'' of 2.78t ...
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Electricity sector in Ireland
The electricity sectors of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are integrated and supply 2.5 million customers from a combination of coal, peat, natural gas, wind and hydropower. In 2018 natural gas produced 51.8%, while wind turbines gene ...
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Electricity sector in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has a National Grid that covers most of mainland Great Britain and several of the surrounding islands, as well as some connectivity to other countries. The electrical sector supplies power at 50 Hz AC, and ~240 volts i ...
*
Celtic Interconnector
The Celtic Interconnector is a planned 700 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power cable between the southern coast of Ireland and the north-west coast of France.
If completed as planned, it will be the first such interconnector bet ...