On 26 June 2008, Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy officially switched on the new 10.4 km subsea electricity cable between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island, allowing electricity from the mainland network to flow to Rathlin for the first time. The energisation of this Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) cable marked the start of mains power transmission to the island community via the submarine connection.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) completed installation of a new subsea electricity cable between Ballycastle on the County Antrim mainland and Rathlin Island in 2007, laying around 6 miles (10.4 km) of underwater cable to provide the island’s first mains electricity connection and replace its previous reliance on generators and wind turbines. The connection was formally inaugurated the following year when NI Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy officially switched on the 10.4 km subsea cable, marking completion of the grid link and delivering a more dependable electricity supply to Rathlin’s homes and businesses while underpinning future development on the island.
Environmental engineers Metoc plc were appointed by Northern Ireland Electricity (Powerteam) as marine consultants for the proposed submarine power cable connection between Rathlin Island and County Antrim, tasked with supporting marine survey work and final route selection for a cable of 11–17 km in length, marking a key step in detailed cable route engineering for the Rathlin Island subsea link.
| Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Landfall | Rathlin Island (Rathlin), County Antrim (Rathlin Island shore) | Ballycastle, County Antrim (mainland shore at Ballycastle) |
| Grid Connection | Rathlin Island on‑island distribution substation (undersea cable landing / local NIE distribution connection) | — |
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland