Celtic Interconnector

The Celtic Interconnector project will create an electrical interconnection between Ireland and France to allow the exchange of electricity between the two countries. 

It is being developed with EirGrid and our French equivalent Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) and will be the first interconnector between Ireland and continental Europe.

The Celtic Interconnector will travel from east Cork to the north-west coast of Brittany.

The project’s commissioning date is expected for Q4 2028.

The project is co-funded by EirGrid and RTE. In 2019, it was awarded €530.7 million from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). 

Some EU funding was also received as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). A PCI is an infrastructure project that links the energy systems of EU countries. It gives the project enhanced status, as well as more efficient access to planning permission and permits.

You can keep up with the latest developments in the Updates section below, and you can also read a round-up of major developments in our quarterly newsletters, which will bring you up to date on the works in Ireland and in France, community benefit and other topics related to the delivery of this strategic energy project. 

When built, the Celtic Interconnector will bring many benefits for Ireland, France, and the EU. It will:

The Celtic Interconnector is part of developing an integrated energy system for Europe. A fully integrated energy market will help the EU to:

High Voltage Alternating Current Electricity Cable (HVAC) and High Voltage Direct Current Electricity Cable (HVDC) Land and Submarine Circuits

Ireland and France both use HVAC technology to move electricity around their networks and supply consumers.

However, different technology is needed to transfer electricity at long distances: HVDC. This is the industry standard for long distances.

For this project the following circuits will be used to transport electricity:

The HVDC interconnector between Ireland and France will be about 575km long. This includes the subsea and the onshore cable to the converter station. The cables for the HVAC and HVDC are all underground.

Converter Stations

Converter stations will be built in each country to change the electricity from HVDC to HVAC, and the other way around. After it is converted from HVDC to HVAC technology at the converter station, the electricity will be transferred to the existing substations in each country. 

Network Connection

Two existing substations were identified as the best locations to connect to the transmission system in each country. The existing stations are located at:

You can see the main elements of the proposed infrastructure in Ireland in the graphic below.

The on-road construction element of the Celtic Interconnector consisted of three main phases of work for both the AC Route and the DC Route.  

We use a six-step approach to developing projects to improve the grid. You'll see these steps mentioned across our project plans. As part of our six-step approach to developing projects, we ask for regular feedback from the public and other stakeholders. The steps indicate how far along we are in a project. Our 'Have Your Say' document explains these steps in more detail.

The European Union has partly funded the Celtic Interconnector and designated it as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). 

A PCI is an infrastructure project that links the energy systems of EU countries. 

It gives the project a higher status, allows more efficient access to planning permission and permitting processes.

As a PCI the Celtic Interconnector also has access to financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – a fund to develop Europe’s energy, transport and digital networks.

The Celtic Interconnector Community Forum brings together people and organisations from across the project area so that stakeholder and community views can be discussed, understood and properly considered prior to and during project delivery. This community forum will create the opportunity for dialogue between stakeholders with diverse and direct interest in the project and the EirGrid project team.

Irish Rural Link has been appointed as the community forum's independent facilitator.

Irish Rural Link (IRL), formed in 1991, is a national network of organisations and individuals campaigning for sustainable rural development in Ireland and Europe. IRL, a non-profit organisation, now directly represents over 600 community groups with a combined membership of 25,000. The organisation has a long, successful track record in designing and implementing community relations plans for development companies, community organisations, semi-state agencies and Government. 

The purpose of the forum is to ensure that stakeholder and community views are understood and properly considered prior to and during project delivery. The group will provide a forum for dialogue between stakeholders with interests in the project and the project team. Community Forum members will also be invited to input on the design and implementation of the Community Benefit Fund.

Communications

To help forum members share information with their community please see the resources below:

Social media notice

This notice provides the Celtic Free Text registration information and is designed for use on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms. This can be downloaded, saved to and sent from your smart phone. 

To save it to your phone, simply press and hold the image until a menu pops up, and choose the appropriate action. To save it on a computer, right-click the picture and choose "Save image as".

Poster

This is a downloadable and printable poster encouraging people to register for updates on the Celtic Interconnector.

The Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund has been established by EirGrid to recognise the important role of local communities who are hosting this grid infrastructure and to acknowledge the temporary disruption which may be caused within proximity of the cable line during the construction phase of the project.

All applicants for funding from phase 2 of the EirGrid Celtic Interconnector Community Benefit Fund have now been notified. Phase 2 will award a total of €821,265.50 to community groups and not-for-profit organisations near the Celtic Interconnector project.

This is the second of three phases of funding available to communities in the project area.

September 2026

Our twelfth Celtic Interconnector Community Newsletter is now available, with the latest news on works in Ireland and France. 

Updates include the successful completion of burial and protection of the (HVDC) submarine cable in Irish waters, and archaeological discoveries on the project dating back more than 50,000 years.

June 2026

Our eleventh Celtic Interconnector Community Newsletter is now available, with the latest news on works in Ireland and France. 

Updates include the completion of final onshore cable installation at the landfall, completion of cable testing and cable protection and burial works continuing in Irish waters.

March 2026

Our tenth Celtic Interconnector Community Newsletter is now available, with the latest news on works in Ireland and France. 

Updates include reinstatement works on roads in Cork, the cable laying vessel arriving in France, and updates on the Community Benefit Fund.

Register to receive project updates and newsletters by email at  celticinterconnector@eirgrid.ie

Below are documents about the Celtic Interconnector. We have organised the documents depending on which stage (step) of the project they refer to in EirGrid’s Six Step Process for developing projects in Ireland. 

They are listed in order from most recent to earliest. You can also search for 'Celtic Interconnector' in our Publications section for all related documents.

EirGrid plc’s Strategic Infrastructure Development application to An Bord Pleanála for the Celtic Interconnector Project is available to view on this website

Step 6 Documents

EirGrid & SECAD Partnership Community Biodiversity Webinar

Celtic Interconnector Updates Awareness Poster

Step 5 Documents

Step 4 Documents

Step 4 Maps

Step 3 Documents

Step 2 Documents

Step 2 Land Reports

Health

​Project of Common Interest Process

Celtic Interconnector Community Forum

Terms of Reference