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EirGrid marks two years in construction on Celtic Interconnector project
Construction on the Celtic Interconnector project, the subsea cable linking the electricity grids of Ireland and France, has reached another significant milestone, passing two years in construction.
The strategic energy project is being developed by EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, and its French counterpart, Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (Rte).
Marking the two-year construction milestone, EirGrid teams and project partner, Rte, attended the sixth PCI Energy Days event in Brussels where they spoke with Mechthild Wörsdörfer, deputy director general for the European Commission Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) and MEP Barry Andrews, about the project’s progress.
The project has seen over 60 per cent of the high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables installed onshore in Ireland, along with the first 84km section of marine cable laying completed.
Most recently, the project welcomed the delivery of four transformers, each weighing 240 tonnes.
Against the backdrop of construction milestones throughout the year, communities in east Cork have also been participating, with local community projects and initiatives moving forward with the support of the Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund.
Benefit sharing from the fund has seen over €1.6million awarded to community groups and not for profit groups in the project area, with over 830,000 shared in the second phase of funding in September.
Welcoming the two-year construction mark, Michael Behan, Chief Financial Officer, EirGrid said: “We have seen significant progress on the project over the last two years thanks to the collaboration of contractors, partners and especially to the communities of east Cork who have cooperated with us throughout each phase since the project began construction.
Behan added, “As we work to deliver a cleaner energy future, it is integral that we bring everyone with us on this journey and we look forward to continued advancements and milestones on the Celtic Interconnector throughout 2026.”
The Project of Common Interest event brings together regulators, grid operators and project promoters to discuss and share successful examples of how they have overcome some of the most pressing challenges in building and modernising the energy infrastructure needed to meet the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets.
The Celtic Interconnector project is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union and when delivered, the project will allow the exchange of 700 MW of electricity between Ireland and France, equal to powering 450,000 homes
