The French and Irish power transmission network operators RTE and EirGrid have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to progress their Celtic Interconnector project to the next phase of its development, "Initial Design and Pre-Consultation". The proposed Celtic Interconnector would be a €1bn sub-sea power interconnection project with a transmission capacity of 700 MW.
The latest phase will take 2 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 sub-sea cable and connection points to the electricity transmission grids in France and Ireland.
Upon completion of the Initial Design and Pre-Consultation 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.