Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2022
206. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has received the review into the north-south interconnector; when the findings of the review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29115/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new North-South Interconnector, which will allow for the flow of 900 MW electricity between Ireland and Northern Ireland, will be critical for improving the operation of the all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM). It will also facilitate the achievement of the goal of generating up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A resilient and well-connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland's economic well-being and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers. The option of undergrounding the North-South Interconnector has been comprehensively assessed on several occasions. Most recently, the key finding from the International Expert Commission's report of October 2018 was that an overhead line remains the most appropriate option for this critical electricity infrastructure.
Notwithstanding this, I decided to commission a further short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 report remains valid. Formal procurement of international experts in electricity grid infrastructure was completed last September. The international experts are continuing their work on the report, which has taken longer than expected, but I hope to receive it shortly.
