From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, has welcomed Cabinet approval of a new policy statement on electricity interconnection which plans to make Ireland central to Europe’s energy future.
The proposed plans will see Ireland increase its electricity interconnection capacity and explore new interconnection opportunities with Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as further connections to both Great Britain and France. Electricity Interconnectors provide a way to share electricity between countries and proposed new interconnection developments, aligned with the State’s growing renewable energy sector, could allow Ireland to become a net exporter of electricity.
The National Policy Statement on Electricity Interconnection, which was approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, 25 July 2023, also outlines how a state-directed approach will ensure integrated forward planning, enabling the necessary infrastructure to unlock significant green energy export opportunities. Ireland’s offshore energy potential makes it central to Europe’s shared energy future. The role of interconnection will increase in importance as the renewable energy sector becomes a larger proportion of supply in the Irish and European electricity system, both in relation to the import and export of electricity. Increased ‘interconnection’ helps balance electricity supply and demand between countries and provides a valuable back-up power supply for when electricity systems have reduced capacity. New interconnections will also allow for increased energy imports in the case of an adverse shock, which may occur during extreme weather events.
The key aspects of Ireland’s new policy on electricity interconnection include:
Welcoming the publication of the Policy Statement, Minister Ryan said:
"Increased electricity interconnection will be a key enabler in our growing use of renewable energy. It will also play an important role in our transition to become a net energy exporter, making Ireland central to wider European energy plans.
"The integrated forward planning approach outlined within this policy statement, will be aligned with offshore renewable energy forward planning, enabling the delivery of necessary infrastructure to facilitate our energy ambitions. It will also better integrate European electricity markets, and by using more diversified energy markets, this will improve our electricity security and resilience. Our approach will also help lower energy prices and play a central role in Ireland’s journey to a Net Zero power system."
Ireland’s interconnection capacity currently stands at 500 MW via a single connection to the UK market. Capacity is set to more than treble by 2027, to 1,700 MW, which will include a return of direct interconnection between Ireland and the EU via the ‘Celtic Interconnector’.
The 2020 Programme for Government first set out the need to strengthen the policy framework around electricity interconnection with the 2021 Climate Action Plan containing a specific action to deliver an update to the earlier 2018 policy statement on electricity interconnection. An updated action was contained in the 2023 Climate Action Plan which requires delivery of this updated policy statement.
The development of the policy includes the procurement, development and delivery of an external analytical report into Ireland’s interconnector needs up to 2050. The analysis contained in the report, which was delivered in February 2023, has been part of the basis for the commitment to consider future links with our geographical neighbours.
A consultation was also held with 21 responses received, primarily from industry. The public consultation respondents were overwhelmingly supportive of the need to develop further interconnection, including hybrid projects, highlighting that further cross-border connectivity would be expected to have a beneficial impact on the achievement of Ireland’s climate and energy objectives, including the delivery of offshore renewables.
MPIs are subsea electricity cables which are intended to connect one country to neighbouring markets, while also connecting offshore generation to shore. This asset could potentially comprise a variety of configurations of generation, including offshore grid infrastructure and energy market connections. It will be necessary to define MPIs as to how they might best fit into Ireland’s offshore grid and generation ambitions. While MPIs have the potential to bring wider benefits, this potential needs to be considered within an Irish context, and appropriate regulatory treatment will also need to be established.
On 13 July 2023, the government launched its first DMAP Proposal which will consider offshore renewable energy development within a geographical area of Ireland’s South Coast. The DMAP process signals Ireland’s first step into a systemic, plan-led development of its huge off-shore wind potential. DMAPs will be used to determine the broad area where offshore renewable energy projects can be developed and will act as a management plan for a specific area of our marine waters. What this means in practice is that the State, in cooperation with local communities and with consideration for other maritime activities, including fishing and seafood production, will determine the appropriate location for offshore renewable energy developments. This ensures that future developments are managed in a planned and sustainable way. DMAPs also provides greater clarity for all maritime stakeholders as to where development will be situated. Provisions for the use of forward spatial planning and the establishment of DMAPs are provided for in national legislation through the MAP Act.