The government has declared of public interest the project to create a first France-Ireland electricity link, which is supposed to promote the development of renewable energies and strengthen the security of supply of both countries, according to a decree published Sunday in the Journal Officiel.
The text from the Ministry of Energy Transition, dated August 26, 2022, declares of public utility “the works for the creation of a 320,000 volt direct current submarine and underground electricity link between the converter station in Ireland and the converter station located at La Martyre (France)”, in Finistère.
Also concerned is an “underground 400,000 volt AC link connecting the French converter station in the municipality of La Martyre to the existing substation in the same municipality”.
This project, called “Celtic Interconnector”, should be commissioned in 2026, according to its sponsors, the French electricity system operator RTE and its Irish counterpart Eirgrid.
This link, with a length of about 575 km (including nearly 500 km at sea), should facilitate “the development of renewable energy” and “strengthen the electrical solidarity between the two countries”, according to RTE.
The project estimated at about 1 billion euros should also reduce Ireland’s dependence on its British neighbor in the context of Brexit.
It has been recognized as a project of common interest (PIC) by the European Union.
