Ireland needs second undersea cable to France to cut 'glaring mistake' of Russian gas reliance

The first subsea link facilitating the exchange of electricity between the two countries, called the Celtic Interconnector, was granted planning permission from An Bord Pleanála in May and is expected to be operational by 2026. File picture

EirGrid should develop a second electricity cable between Ireland and France as EU reliance on Russian energy is labelled a “glaring policy mistake”, a new report argues.

A second cable would provide “greater security of supply” and “create opportunities for the Irish wind energy sector to sell directly to mainland Europe” as the industry grows in the coming years, the report said.