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Tracker · updated 16 July 2026

Celtic Interconnector: the planning record

EirGrid · East Cork: Claycastle beach (Youghal) to Ballyadam converter station and Knockraha substation

What planning permission does the Celtic Interconnector have?

The Ireland-France electricity interconnector's onshore works were approved by An Bord Pleanala on 19 May 2022 (case VA04.310798, a strategic-infrastructure application lodged by EirGrid on 9 July 2021): the landfall at Claycastle beach near Youghal, underground cabling, the Ballyadam converter station and the connection to the existing Knockraha substation. The marine works run under a foreshore licence granted in August 2022, with the UK marine licence following in September 2022. The 700 MW link is under construction, with commissioning now expected in spring 2028.

Every filing on the record

VA04.310798An Bord Pleanala (s.182A, applicant EirGrid)lodged 9 July 2021
Approved with conditions - 19 May 2022

The onshore consent: cable landfall at Claycastle, underground HVDC cable route, the converter station at Ballyadam near Carrigtwohill, and connection to Knockraha 220 kV substation.

Case file
Foreshore licenceDepartment of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Foreshore Unit)lodged June 2021
Granted - August 2022

The marine works in Irish waters. The UK Marine Management Organisation licence for the British sector followed on 14 September 2022.

Case file

Delivery has moved faster than most Irish grid projects: marine cable-laying began in August 2025 (EU CINEA milestone note), and the final onshore cable was pulled in April 2026. Commissioning, originally targeted for 2026, has slipped to spring 2028 (Irish Examiner).

The project carries roughly EUR 530m in EU Connecting Europe Facility funding and is Ireland's first direct electricity link to continental Europe - 700 MW, enough for about 450,000 homes on EirGrid's figures.

What to watch next

  • Cable-laying and converter-station milestones through 2027.
  • The commissioning date - currently spring 2028 - and any further slippage.
  • Energisation testing notices as the Ballyadam station completes.
Celtic Interconnector on the infrastructure tracker Planning activity in Cork Track filings like this (free account)

Core documents

The primary sources behind this tracker - reports, orders and official records, linked directly for researchers.

Method: compiled from the public planning register as ingested by PlanningLeads; updated 16 July 2026. Registers move as cases progress - always check the live record before relying on a status. Organisation campuses only; no personal data is reported.