FAQs

Greenlink is an electricity interconnector linking the power markets in Ireland and Great Britain. The project consists of a subsea and underground cable and associated converter stations, with 500 MW nominal capacity.

It connects EirGrid's Great Island substation in County Wexford (Ireland) to National Grid's Pembroke substation in Pembrokeshire (Wales).

Interconnectors allow electricity to flow between different national transmission networks — from where it is generated to where it is needed — improving security and reliability of supply, and supporting integration of green, low‑carbon energy.

Greenlink can export surplus electricity between Ireland and Great Britain, which helps meet renewable energy targets, reduce carbon emissions, and brings jobs and investment to both regions. As a "Project of Common Interest", it will double the interconnection capacity between Ireland and Great Britain.

Construction will bring regional investment and jobs; once operational, Greenlink is expected to contribute to downward pressure on electricity bills for consumers.

The project is backed by Partners Group, a global private markets firm. They invest in private equity, real estate, debt, infrastructure globally.

Greenlink is privately financed by Partners Group, with additional funding from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

As per the website, the project is under construction and planned for completion in early 2025.

The interconnector uses two High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity cables plus a fibre‑optic cable. These run about 190 km beneath the Irish Sea and underground.

HVDC is more efficient for long‑distance (especially subsea) transmission than AC, with lower electricity losses and minimal heating effect — suitable for underground/onshore routing.

At converter stations, DC is converted to Alternating Current (AC) for connection to national grids. The fibre‑optic cable enables communication between converter stations for monitoring, control, and safety.

In Wales: connects to the Pembroke 400 kV substation (Pembrokeshire).

In Ireland: connects to the Great Island 220 kV substation (County Wexford).

Landfall sites are at Freshwater West beach (Pembrokeshire) and Baginbun Beach (County Wexford), chosen after assessments and consultations. Onshore cable routes and converter station sites were identified after environmental and technical assessments.

The estuary route was considered but ruled out after consultation with the Port of Waterford. Concerns included potential sterilisation of the waterway due to future dredging activities.

As above: Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, and Baginbun Beach in County Wexford. They will use Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) to install the cable under the beach and dunes — avoiding impacts on environment or beach users.

Offshore: Marine cable buried beneath seabed (or laid on seabed with protective cover if burial not possible), using purpose‑built cable‑laying ships.

At landfalls (beaches): Horizontal Directional Drilling under dunes/beaches, so no open trenching or disruption to beach users; then cable is jointed and buried underground.

Onshore: cables laid in trenches, with minimum depth cover of 850 mm. In agricultural land, deeper cover for farming safety. Any utility crossings, watercourses etc. will have custom engineering. The underground route sometimes follows existing roads depending on land ownership etc.

At National Grid's Pembroke substation (Wales) and at EirGrid's Great Island substation (County Wexford, Ireland).

No. All onshore cables will be buried underground; offshore cables buried under seabed (or covered if burial impossible).

Cables: No — because they are entirely underground/subsea, so no permanent visual impact. Any necessary vegetation clearance will be temporary and restored. There will be no fencing or permanent structures on Freshwater West or Baginbun beaches.

There may be small link boxes (cabinets) along the route — about one every 6 km — located inside field boundaries to minimise visual impact.

Converter stations: Yes — converter station buildings will be visible. Their footprint ~ 1.85 hectares (approx. 185 m × 100 m). Components include converter hall, transformers, AC switchgear, filters, lightning towers (≈ 26 m high), control building, cooling plant, standby generators. Converter hall apex ~ 17 m high. Visual impact was assessed; mitigation includes landscaping and building finishes.

All cabling is buried (underground or seabed) in protective armoured casing; on land at least 850 mm deep with protective cover and warning markers.

HVDC cables emit lower electromagnetic fields (EMF) than AC cables; they comply with guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) and the relevant EU standard (ICNIRP/EU Recommendation 1999/519/EC).

Under full load, magnetic field directly above the cable is approx. 17 microtesla (µT). By comparison, Earth's magnetic field in Ireland is ~ 47 µT. So the cable's emissions are well below guideline limits. At 5 m away from cable, magnetic field drops to ~ 2.5 µT — ~160 times below the 500 µT guideline limit.

No. HVAC configuration requires three cables instead of two and the system uses converter stations to convert between DC and AC. Therefore the cables are required to be HVDC and cannot be converted on-demand.

During construction (converter stations, cable burial) there will be temporary noise and vibration at isolated locations; this will be minimized.

During operation: noise from electrical and mechanical plant is expected — but mostly located indoors within the converter hall and at lower levels than nearby existing power stations/substations.

The project aims to have minimal environmental impact. A full Environmental Impact Assessment was voluntarily conducted. Independent experts carried out environmental and technical surveys to shape the design to minimise impacts.

The resulting assessments were verified by Natural Resources Wales (for Wales) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (for Ireland).

Both beaches are valued by locals and visitors for their natural beauty and as wildlife habitats. To mitigate impact, cable installation at landfalls will use Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) — drilling underneath the beach/dunes — avoiding open trenching, beach closures, or visual disruption.

Installation work is expected to last no more than ~3 months, with a temporary compound on fields behind the beach. There will be no restriction of access to beaches or dunes during installation.

Once complete, cabling will be invisible. There will be no permanent fencing or structures restricting access.

Work will be scheduled outside peak summer season to minimise disruption.

Potential impacts on both designated and non‑designated archaeological/cultural heritage assets have been assessed. The project aims to avoid disturbing archaeological remains — wherever possible, they will be preserved in situ.

If disturbances cannot be avoided, then preservation by record (archival documentation) will be proposed as mitigation. Efforts aim to protect the visual setting of historic assets.

Construction may temporarily increase traffic on local roads, possibly including partial or full road closures and use of alternative routes. Greenlink is consulting with local authorities (in Wexford and Pembrokeshire) and will produce Traffic Management Plans to limit disruption.

Installation will follow best practices and the final road surfaces will meet the standards required by the relevant Highways Authority.

Consultations have been carried out with a range of statutory consultees, NGOs, and government bodies.

In Wales: including Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales, Milford Haven Port Authority, local councils, Castlemartin Firing Range, among others.

In Ireland: including An Bord Pleanála, Wexford County Council, CRU (the Commission for Regulation of Utilities), relevant government departments, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

In Wales: Onshore planning applications submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in early 2020 — both approved unanimously in July 2020. Marine applications submitted to Natural Resources Wales in autumn 2019 — approved March 2021.

In Ireland: Onshore planning application submitted to An Bord Pleanála in December 2020, and has now been approved. Marine application submitted to the Foreshore Unit (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) in autumn 2019 — also approved.

The interconnector will provide additional network capacity, strengthening the electricity grids in Ireland and southern Wales, boosting regional electricity supply security.

During construction: potential for about 250 direct jobs in each region (Ireland & Wales), plus knock-on economic benefits locally.

Once operational: expected to create up to 20 permanent jobs in Ireland (particularly around Great Island, Co. Wexford) and up to 5 in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Many opportunities for local contractors, suppliers etc.

Local businesses can benefit — and the project encourages participation via its Suppliers & Procurement page.

Where possible, the project explores opportunities for community infrastructure improvements and benefits.

Since May 2018, the project has included a full consultation process: multiple public exhibitions, meetings with statutory authorities, community representatives and local organisations in both Pembrokeshire (Wales) and County Wexford (Ireland).

There have been four rounds of public exhibitions in each region at various dates between 2018–2019.

Local people are encouraged to comment or raise issues — optionally anonymously — via the Contact Us page, or directly via email/phone to community liaison representatives in Ireland or Wales. Local businesses and suppliers are invited to get in touch via the Suppliers & Procurement page to explore how they might be involved.

Fishing areas were identified before subsea surveys and fishing interests were kept informed about planned survey and construction works to minimise impacts.

During construction, the project will continue coordination with fisheries. A dedicated Fisheries Liaison Officer was appointed to manage fishery‑related matters. Contact info (email and phone) is provided for this liaison role.

Where possible, the design and route have been shaped to benefit local communities. For example: planned parking at Baginbun Beach, street lighting and footpaths in the village of Ramsgrange (near the cable route).

The main community benefit comes from local supply‑chain involvement during construction (local contractors, suppliers, services etc.), with economic knock‑on effects for shops, B&Bs, hospitality, etc.

The project held "meet‑the‑buyer" events in Wexford and Pembrokeshire to discuss opportunities for local businesses to participate.

No. Because Greenlink is not an energy‑generating project, they are not establishing a community fund like what is typical for wind‑farm projects.

They emphasise instead that the benefits to the community will come via infrastructure improvements, local economic activity, local supply‑chain opportunities and potential community‑level initiatives (depending on views and feedback from locals).