Celtic Interconnector tenders up for grabs

French TSO Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) and its Irish equivalent EirGrid have launched engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tenders for the Celtic Interconnector project.

The Celtic Interconnector is a planned 700MW HVDC subsea link to allow the exchange of electricity between Ireland and France.

This one-circuit HVDC link comprises two power cables and two converter stations.

The link is approximately 575 kilometres long, of which the subsea section comprises approximately 500 kilometres.

The project has secured support from the European Union’s Connecting Europe facility (CEF).

The cable EPC deal has a potential value of some €570 million, excluding VAT.

The contract includes the detailed design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, delivery, installation and commissioning of the cable link, and (if necessary) associated maintenance contracts, inclusive of all civil works.

In addition to some 500-kilometre subsea cable, approximately 40 kilometres will be an underground DC cable in France and 32 kilometres of HVDC underground cable in Ireland .

The project also requires installation of a fibre-optic cable alongside the power cables.

The contract also includes maintenance during the defects liability period.

However, TSOs noted that other maintenance services will go under a separate contract.

Final call to apply to this tender is 9 November 2020.

The second tender is seeking for an EPC contractor for the design, manufacture, delivery, installation and commissioning of the VSC converter stations in Ireland and France, inclusive of all civil works and associated maintenance contracts.

Specifically, the converter stations will be in La Martyre, France and close to the Knockraha substation in Cork, Ireland.

This deal has an estimated value of €230 million, with tender deadline also set for 9 November 2020.