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Project Activity
The East-West Interconnector will connect the Irish power system to the electricity grid in Britain through undersea and underground cables. This infrastructure is vital to the development of Ireland's economy. The Interconnector will have a capacity of 500 Megawatts (MW). The Interconnector is on target for completion in 2012.
This is enough power to supply approximately 350,000 homes.
Read more about the engineering and technical details of this project below.
How will the interconnector be installed
To understand how the this electricty interconnector will work, why not take a few minutes to view an animation which demonstrates how the interconnector will be installed from Ireland to Wales:
The cables will connect underground to converter stations at Woodland, County Meath and Deeside, North Wales. The cables go underground from Rush to Woodland mainly along the public road network and will avoid urban areas as far as possible. See route map.
We are committed to keeping you fully informed about this project - especially if you live near our planned route. The construction phase will commence mid 2010 and full information about the works and any traffic management plans will be available on this website.
Current progress
UPDATE: January 2010
We are currenty preparing for the construction phase of the project and full details will be published over the coming months on this website. The construction phase of the East West Interconnector will commence mid 2010. If you wish to be notified of any works, please contact us so we can add your contact details to our traffic management database.
UPDATE: 16th September 2009
An Bord Pleanala today granted EirGrid permission to build the 500 MW electricity Interconnector between Ireland and Wales.
The decision is a key step in the development of this vital electricity link, which will enable two-way transmission of power from 2012, and which will enable Ireland to be an exporter of renewable power.
The East-West Interconnector, which will be approximately 260 km long, can carry 500 megawatts of electricity – the equivalent of supplying power to approximately 300,000 homes. This capacity approximates to 10 per cent of peak daily electricity demand in winter in Ireland.
An Bord Pleanala’s Strategic Infrastructure Board has granted permission for the location and construction of a converter station in Woodland, Co. Meath and the installation of underground cables, mainly in public roads, to the coast at Rush, Co. Dublin approximately 45 km / 30 miles in length and in the seabed out to the foreshore limit.
Construction, which is being undertaken by Swedish engineering firm ABB, will take two years beginning in 2010 and will create 100 jobs.
UPDATE: 27th August 2009
ABB, the Swedish engineering company, awarded the contract to design, manufacture and install the East West Interconnector is currently working on the detailed design phase of the interconnector.
The planning application is currently with An Bord Pleanala who requested additional information following the oral hearing held in March. This information was provided to them and public consultation took place from July 25th to 18th August 2009. A decision is expected in the coming weeks. Subject to planning permission, the construction phase is expected to commence during quarter two of 2010.
UPDATE: 29th March 2009
EirGrid Awards Contract for Construction of the East West Interconnector
The Government has approved the development of the new electricity interconnector between Ireland and Wales, which is due to be constructed over the next three years, in an investment by EirGrid of approximately €600 million.
Swedish Engineering firm ABB has been awarded the contract to design, manufacture and install EirGrid’s East West Electricity Interconnector. It is understood construction of this project will involve specialist international construction staff, and will also result in up to 100 jobs in Ireland during the construction period.
Pictured at the announcement of EirGrid’s contract award to ABB for construction of the East West Interconnector from Ireland to Wales are back row from left to right: Trevor Gregory, Country Manager ABB UK and Ireland, Lars Weimers, Chief Engineer, Marketing HVDC System, ABB AB, John Fitzgerald, Project Director EirGrid, Michael G. Tutty, Chairman of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), Front Row: Peter Leupp, Head of Power Systems division ABB, and Dermot Byrne, Chief Executive EirGrid.
UPDATE: 13th March 2009
EirGrid’s Oral Hearing for the Interconnector with An Bord Pleanala took place this week in Balbriggan, the hearing was concluded after three days. EirGrid is now awaiting planning approval.
Pictured at the East West Interconnector Oral Hearing at the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan are from left to right back row: Dave Watson RSK, Pat Nolan ESBI, Trevor Sheridan ESBI, Robert Donaghy ESBI, Sean Meagher Eirgrid, Front Row: Richard Brown JP Kenny, Des Cox, RPS and John Fitzgerald, Project Director
Engineering & technical details
The East West Interconnector consists of 2 submarine cables of 150 millimetres in diameter. These operate under High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and have a joint total capacity of 500 MegaWatts (MW). Some other cable statistics:- Length of submarine cable: 185 km / 110 miles approximately.
- Length of overland cable in Ireland: Approx 45 km / 30 miles approximately.
- Length of overland cable in Wales: Approx 30 km / 20 miles approximately.
- Rush Bay, Co. Dublin in Ireland
- North Wales in Britain.
- Woodland, Co. Meath, Ireland.
- Deeside, North Wales, Britain.
Current interconnectors There is already one interconnector between Northern Ireland and Britain. It connects Northern Ireland to Scotland (the Moyle Interconnector). This new East-West Interconnector will be the first one between the Republic of Ireland and the island of Britain. It is strategically very important for our country.
Project Activity
Licences and funding
This project is licenced by the energy regulators in both Ireland and the UK:
- Commission for Energy Regulation (Ireland)
- OFGEM (UK)
This project has been part funded by the EU TEN-E Initiative.
The East West Interconnector will represent an investment of €600 million. EirGrid were granted a loan of up to €300 million from the European Investment Bank.
The balance of the EirGrid East West Interconnector will be funded by a combination of further capital investment from commercial banks, EirGrid equity and a €110 million grant from the EU Commission for interconnection.
