Greenlink subsea cable, Irish Sea
One of Europe’s most important energy assets
We installed, buried and protected the Greenlink cable between October 2023 and May 2024. The cable is 160 kilometres long and connects the coasts of Ireland and Wales via the Irish Sea. Our vessel Connector installed the cable, while our vessels Symphony and Simon Stevin buried and protected it in the seabed. With the potential to power around 380,000 homes, Greenlink is one of Europe’s most important energy infrastructure projects.
Greenlink in numbers
Did you know?
- This project doubles the interconnection capacity to exchange power between Ireland and Great Britain and increases energy security.
- To bury the cable in the seabed, we used our in-house-designed trenching machine Swordfish for the first time. This specialised equipment creates underwater trenches where cables are laid and buried to protect them against erosion. The machine is launched from our vessel Symphony and controlled remotely by the crew.
Greenlink is a direct current (DC) cable. Unlike alternating current (AC) cables, DC cables can support higher power with less energy loss. This makes them perfect to bridge long distances and connect countries.
The Greenlink cable consists of three cables bundled together. It was the first time we installed three cables simultaneously, an important milestone in our operations.
Greenlink in details
We carried out the Greenlink project on behalf of cable manufacturer Sumitomo Electrical Industries Ltd and completed the installation in two campaigns. In October 2023, our cable-laying vessel Connector installed the first half of the 160-kilometre subsea cable, from the coast of Wales to the middle of the Irish Sea. In spring 2024, we installed the remaining 80 kilometres, starting from the coast of Ireland. We jointed the cables together where they met in the Irish Sea.
Greenlink subsea cable between Ireland and Great Britain, Irish Sea
