Greece’s Asso.subsea has joined forces with French cable maker Nexans to perform subsea burial operations for what will become Ireland’s first power connection with continental Europe.
The Celtic Interconnector spans 575 kilometers, constituting a high voltage direct current (HVDC) connection across the Celtic Sea, from east Cork, Ireland, to the northwest coast of Brittany, France, of which the offshore element comprises approximately 500 kilometers.
Asso.subsea’s work will be divided into three distinct campaigns with the initial, scheduled for this year, to include boulder clearance and pre-trenching activities, while subsequent campaigns are planned for 2025 and 2026, focusing on post-trenching operations.
The company’s trenching support vessels Aethra, Athena and Argo, along with advanced seabed preparation equipment and AssoTrencher IV series mechanical trenchers, will be deployed for the activities. Asso’s newest jetting remote-operated vehicle (ROV) AssoJet III will support the operation.
“We are thrilled to collaborate once more with Nexans, on yet another noteworthy project, as it has been identified as one of the most critical energy infrastructure projects in Ireland and France for this decade,” said Asso.subsea’s Project Director of Interconnectors Giannis Kyrzidis .
“By supporting the development of a more sustainable electricity mix and facilitating cross-border electricity flows on a European scale, Asso.subsea actively contributes to the realization of the EU’s goals for affordable, secure, and sustainable energy.”
The Celtic Interconnector is being developed by the Irish transmission system operator (TSO) EirGrid and its French counterpart Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE).
Nexans, which won the contract for the project in 2022, earlier this month kicked off the installation of high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) onshore cable on the Irish side of the interconnector.
Siemens Energy is delivering the HVDC transmission technology.
When complete in 2026, the 700 MW 320 kV VSC HVDC link will allow the movement of enough electricity to power 450,000 homes.