Invitations to Bid for LirIC Interconnector Project
Invitations to bid for work on the LirlC Interconnector project are due out shortly for key awards in November.
The LirIC Interconnector Project is a proposed high-voltage direct current (HVDC) sub-sea electricity interconnector between Northern Ireland and Scotland. It will connect the Belfast region in Northern Ireland to the Ayrshire region in Scotland.
Main LirIC work packages
Lot A1: £353m
Two HVDC converter stations at Hunterston and Kilroot.
Lot A2: £100m
Converter Station civils and building works
LOT B1: £245m
Cables offshore and onshore (two sites). This will include the subsea cable, landing and underground cables to the converter stations, route 140km. Design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning.
Applications are due in April. The project is being developed by Transmission Investment. Contact name: Brian Dunn, Telephone: 07985244657 Email: brian.dunn@tinv.com
The interconnector will provide up to 700MW of additional capacity between the Irish Integrated Single Energy Market (I-SEM) and the GB wholesale electricity market. The project includes two HVDC converter stations, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland, connecting to the 275kV and 400kV high-voltage networks respectively. Two 320kV HVDC cables will be used, with a total route length of approximately 142 km.
The project is targeting a financial close in autumn 2027. The project is anticipated to be fully operational by the end of the decade, with commissioning expected in 2032.
The project will be privately funded, with no public investment required.
Regulator Ofgem awarded the project an ‘in principle’ cap and floor, which provides a guarantee of how much money the developer will make. It gives the developers a minimum return (floor) and a limit on the potential upside (cap) for a 25-year period.
