TAQA enters 700 MW Northern Ireland-Scotland interconnector, route surveys on schedule

UK expert submarine cable and survey services provider A-2-Sea Solutions has been appointed to carry out route surveys for a new HVDC subsea electricity interconnector that will link the Belfast region in Northern Ireland and the Ayrshire region in Scotland.

The LirIC interconnector project will have a total cable route length of around 142 kilometers and will provide up to 700 MW of further capacity between the Irish Integrated Single Energy Market (I-SEM) and Great Britain’s wholesale electricity market.

Two converter stations will connect LirIC to the 275 kV high-voltage network in Northern Ireland and the 400 kV high-voltage network in Scotland, with two 320 kV HVDC cables connecting the two converter stations under the bed of the Irish Sea.

A-2-Sea Solutions, on behalf of LirIC’s sole developer Transmission Investment, will be undertaking a pre-construction landfall and marine site investigation survey across the proposed cable route.

The operations will begin during an appropriate weather window after June 9 and will continue over a planned minimum period of 50 days, weather permitting.

Activities will be concentrated across two cable corridors and will be performed by two vessels, the 40-meter-long multi-purpose survey vessel Mintaka 1 and the 8-meter-long multi-purpose shallow water survey vessel White Ribbon.

The marine survey operations shall consist of geophysical data acquisition using hull-mounted and towed sensors, followed by a benthic environmental campaign consisting of video imagery and in situ grab sampling operations.

A couple of months after Ofgem’s decision to support the project through its Cap and Floor regime, the Utility Regulator for Northern Ireland awarded TI LirIC Limited a transmission licence, authorizing LirIC to move electricity into and out of the Integrated Single Energy Market on the Island of Ireland.

In mid-April, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) announced that it had acquired 100% of Transmission Investment, which became a part of TAQA Transmission, responsible for the development and operation of TAQA’s high voltage power and bulk water transmission infrastructure.

Following the acquisition, Chris Veal has stayed as the head of Transmission Investment.

“Transmission grids are essential for enabling the global energy transition. IRENA estimates that from 2024 to 2030, around USD 717 billion per year must be invested in grid infrastructure and flexibility measures to align with a pathway that is compatible with a 1.5°C scenario,” said Afif Saif Al Yafei, CEO of TAQA Transmission.

“That is why we are pleased to announce TAQA Transmission’s first international acquisition, strengthening our growing portfolio and reinforcing TAQA’s role as a global leader in low-carbon power and water solutions. This deal will allow us to leverage the significant capabilities of TI to support our international growth strategy while contributing to the UK’s 2050 Net Zero programme and our wider sustainability ambitions.”

According to the developer, the interconnector has the potential to deliver over £1 billion (nearly €1.2 billion) in social economic benefits and expects to create 100+ local jobs during the construction phase, with further permanent roles during operation.