| East–West Interconnector | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| General direction | east–west |
| From | Shotton, North Wales |
| Passes through | Irish Sea |
| To | Rush North Beach, County Dublin |
| Ownership information | |
| Partners | EirGrid |
| Construction information | |
| Manufacturer of conductor/cable | ABB |
| Manufacturer of substations | ABB |
| Construction started | 2010 |
| Expected | 2012 |
| Technical information | |
| Type | submarine cable |
| Type of current | HVDC Light |
| Total length | 261 km (162 mi) |
| Power rating | 500 MW |
| AC Voltage | 400 kV |
| DC Voltage | ±200 kV |
| Number of circuits | 1 |
| Imera Power East–West Interconnector | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| General direction | east–west |
| From | Pentir, North Wales |
| Passes through | Irish Sea |
| To | Arklow, County Wicklow |
| Ownership information | |
| Partners | Imera Power |
| Construction information | |
| Manufacturer of conductor/cable | ABB |
| Manufacturer of substations | ABB |
| Technical information | |
| Type | submarine cable |
| Type of current | HVDC Light |
| Total length | 135 km (84 mi) |
| Power rating | 350 MW |
| AC Voltage | 220/400 kV |
| DC Voltage | ±150 kV |
| Number of circuits | 1 |
The East–West Interconnector is a high-voltage direct current submarine and subsoil power cable project, currently under construction, for connecting the UK and Irish electricity markets. The project is being developed by the Irish national grid operator EirGrid.
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The interconnection is aimed to increase competition and security of supply, and better use the capacity of wind energy.[1] The additional capacity headroom provided by the interconnection will assist in reducing the Electricity Supply Board's dominant position in the Irish electricity market. By joining the two markets it will allow Irish suppliers to access power in the UK and for UK based suppliers to enter the Irish market without initially having to commit to large capital expenditure, significantly reducing barriers to entry. Irish renewable generators will benefit from the interconnection as it will increase their available market and may make it more economically attractive to construct more large scale renewable generation.
ESB Power Generation has advised of its intention to withdraw approximately 1,300 MW of capacity over the next five years. This will effectively reduce the installed capacity of fully dispatchable plant from 6,437 MW to 5,150 MW by the end of 2010. This closure of older inefficient power plants coupled with high growth forecasts present a major threat to security of Irish energy supply.[2]
The interconnection will enhance security of supply and grid stability on both countries and create conditions suitable for the development of a new regional market. The European Commission has expressed the view that European electricity markets would benefit from further interconnection investments. The EU Trans-European Energy Networks Project have classified the UK–Irish Interconnector as a priority project.
Studies for the UK–Irish interconnection date back to the 1970s when the Irish Electricity Supply Board first examined the possibility of linking the UK and Irish electricity grids. Further studies were conducted in the early 1990s and a joint study was recently conducted between Electricity Supply Board and National Grid plc with the support of the European Union. Eirgrid commenced work on the East West Interconnector in 2007 and is currently under construction. It is due for completion in September 2012.
The East–West Interconnector will have a total length of 261 km, of which 186 km is submarine cable and 75 km is subsoil cable. The link will connect converter stations at Rush North Beach, County Dublin, Ireland, and Barkby Beach in North Wales. The interconnection will use ±200kV HVDC Light cables with a capacity of 500 MW. It is the first HVDC Light transmission system project, which uses ±200 kV cables. The cables and converter stations are provided by ABB.[1]
Construction of the East West Interconnector commenced in 2010 and it is expected to be operational in 2012.[1] It will cost €600 million.[3] The project will be financed by a €300 million loan from the European Investment Bank, capital investments from commercial banks, EirGrid equity and a €110 million grant from the European Commission.[4]
A competing project was undertaken by Imera Power. The Imera's cable with a capacity of 350 MW was to be connected at Arklow substation in County Wicklow and Pentir Substation in North Wales. The second cable by Imera Power with a capacity of 350–500 MW was proposed between Wexford and Pembroke. Both developments were to be funded by the private sector on commercial basis; their costs would not be recovered by system tariffs for all end users in either UK or Ireland, but rather by the users of the cable, large wholesale energy traders. Corresponding exemption from the third party access rule was granted by the European Commission on 23 November 2009.[5]
| Site | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Shotton Static Inverter Plant | |
| Cable enters sea | |
| Cable leaves sea | |
| Woodland HVDC Static Inverter |