An Bord Pleanála, Ireland's national independent planning body, has granted approval for the Celtic interconnector project between Ireland and France, subject to a number of conditions. The €1bn HVDC line, which would have a capacity of 700 MW, is developed by the Irish power transmission system operator EirGrid with its French counterpart RTE. It would connect the Knockraha substation near Cork (Ireland) to the La Martyre substation in Brittany (France) over 575 km, including 500 km subsea. In 2019, a funding agreement under the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy Programme awarded €530m in funding to the project. In July 2021, EirGrid submitted the planning application to An Bord Pleanála for the Irish on-shore element of the Celtic Interconnector, following a series of technical assessments, consultations and engagement with the local community that took place over the preceding years. The planning application included a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and Natura Impact Statement. Construction works will start in 2023 and the project should be commissioned in 2026.