BREAKING: Greenlink electricity interconnector between Ireland and Wales goes live
The Greenlink Interconnector has finally gone live as of 23:00 today,
It is a 500MW subsea electricity cable connecting both countries under the Irish sea and allows them to import and export electricity from each other.
You can view the live flows for the greenlink interconnector here: https://smartgriddashboard.com/#all/interconnection
When wind is low in Ireland, electricity can be imported from the UK grid instead of burning expensive natural gas, saving money, reducing emissions and improving energy security. On windy nights in Ireland when everyone is asleep, excess electricity from wind turbines can be sold to the UK, supporting the renewable energy industry in Ireland.
This is the third electricity interconnector between Ireland and the UK, and the first that was privately funded. The company that owns the cable recently sold for an estimated 1 Billion Euro after completing construction on time and in budget.
This 3rd interconnector increases the total import/export capacity from 1000MW to 1500MW, enough to power roughly 1.5 million Irish homes. The other interconnectors connect Dublin and Liverpool, and Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Another electricity cable, the Celtic interconnector, is currently under construction. This is a 700MW cable linking Ireland and France, allowing Ireland to import power from the ~70% nuclear power French grid when wind is low and sell excess wind. It will be Ireland's first connection to the continental European grid. When completed this cable is expected to seriously push down Irish electricity prices, as France typically has lower prices than Ireland.
While Ireland will export electricity on occasion, it is expected that Ireland will be a net importer of electricity for the moment. Many offshore wind farms are currently seeking planning permission as the wind speeds off the coast of Ireland are probably the best in Europe. If those get built then it is likely Ireland would actually be a net exporter of electricity, or as some like to call, the wind barons of Europe.
tl;dr:
✅ Cheaper bills: Electricity flows from where it's cheaper to where it’s pricier (goodbye, gas backups!).
✅ Renewables boost: Sell excess Irish wind power to the UK, buy nuclear from France soon.
✅ 1.5 million Irish homes powered: Total Ireland-UK interconnector capacity now hits 1,500MW.