20 November 2025
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie
EirGrid, operator and developer of the national electricity grid, has welcomed the successful delivery and installation of large-scale power transformers for the Celtic Interconnector project, the subsea link connecting the electricity grids of Ireland and France.
EIRGRID, Cathal Marley visiting Cork office / Celtic
Photo: Clare Keogh
Pictured at the newly installed transformers are L-R EirGrid CEO Cathal Marley, Michael Behan, Chief Financial Officer, EirGrid and Shane Cooney, Onshore Project Manager, EirGrid. Pic: Clare Keogh
Four transformers, each weighing an impressive 240 tonnes, arrived at Aghada Power Station in Cork, from Rotterdam in The Netherlands recently, before being transported to their final destination at the project’s converter station site in Ballyadam, east Cork.
The transformers will play a critical role in ensuring the voltage levels at the converter station are matched to the transmission system voltages, allowing the connection of the interconnector to the grid.
Each transformer, massive in both scale and complexity, was transported from Aghada Power Station to the converter station near Carrigtwohill, by specialist vehicles measuring 94 metres long.
Speaking following the successful transport and delivery operation, Michael Behan, Chief Financial Officer, EirGrid said: “This delivery required meticulous planning, execution and collaboration between multiple teams, contractors and stakeholders.
We thank our contractors, stakeholders, local authorities and An Garda Siochána for ensuring public safety at all times throughout this recent operation.
He added, “Reaching this point in the project is testament to what can be achieved through collaboration, and we look forward to progressing the delivery of this key energy project.”
The project is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union and when delivered, the project will allow the exchange of 700 MW of electricity between Ireland and France, equal to powering 450,000 homes.