Hallissey & Partners LLP continue to advise Greenlink Interconnector Limited (“Greenlink”) on the Irish land aspects of its project to construct an HVDC subsea and underground electricity interconnector cable, with a nominal capacity of 500MW, between Ireland and Great Britain. Greenlink will provide a new grid connection between EirGrid’s Great Island 220kV substation in County Wexford (Ireland) and the National Grid’s Pembroke substation in Pembrokeshire (Wales). The power will be able to flow in either direction, depending on supply and demand in each country.

Greenlink has been awarded “Project of Common Interest” (PCI) status by the European Commission and has also been granted funding from the EU’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) making it one of Europe’s most important energy infrastructure projects.

The “Energy Union” launched by the European Commission on 25th February 2015 is driving a fundamental transition towards more innovative ways to produce, transport and consume energy, and to address different approaches to the design and implementation of energy policy.

Facilitating the Union requires a range of actions, chief amongst them being an increase in the physical interconnection of the EU and surrounding country energy grids (both gas and electricity) to meet a 10% interconnection target by 2020 and to reach 15% by 2030.

The EU, Irish and UK governments all agree that even after Brexit, an interconnected grid will help to ensure affordable, secure and sustainable energy, and also growth and jobs across Europe.

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