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Ofgem will reassess Greenlink interconnector from the UK to Ireland

The British energy regulator Ofgem will reassess its decision not to grant cap and floor arrangements to the Greenlink interconnector project, a proposed 500 MW HVDC power interconnection line between Pembroke (Great Britain) and Ireland, developed by Element Power. In March 2015, the Ofgem had considered that the project would have low benefits for British consumers, based on assumption about how prices would be set in Ireland’s Single Electricity Market (SEM), which is currently being reformed. The SEM now plans to use unconstrained wholesale price in the day-ahead market, where wind power generation is not curtailed and other generation is not constrained on. Irish day-ahead prices, based on high wind power generation, would then be lower than the UK price, enabling British consumers to benefit from lower wholesale prices and leading to high revenues for the Greenlink project. The Ofgem will close the consultation on the project on 11 September 2015.