Eirgrid could face stiff opposition to aspects of its €1bn project to import electricity from France, after announcing its preferred site in Co Cork for a major electrical converter station.

Eirgrid is in discussions with Cork County Council officials to see if it is possible to use some or all of the proposed greenway between Youghal and Midleton to duct cabling for part of a €1 billion electricity interconnector between France and Ireland.

A €1bn subsea power cable linking Ireland to France will help drive down electricity prices for Irish consumers, government leaders said today as they signed an application for some €600m in European grant aid for the project.

EirGrid has drawn up a new shortlist of land-based and electrical current converter sites as part of a €900m plan to lay a submarine cable to transmit electricity between France and Ireland.