Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has provided equity financing for the Greenlink Interconnector ("Greenlink"), a project to construct a 500MW subsea interconnector between Ireland and Great Britain, on behalf of its clients, the company said in its release. To-date, Greenlink has been developed by Element Power, an independent renewable energy developer, which, together with funds managed by Hudson Sustainable Investments, is the other major shareholder in Greenlink.
Greenlink will use a subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system to connect the power markets of Ireland and Great Britain, improving the security of electricity supply in both countries and reducing average electricity costs for consumers. It will stretch approximately 200km underground and under the sea between County Wexford in Ireland and Pembrokeshire in Wales. The project is considered of critical importance in Europe and has been awarded "Project of Common Interest" status by the European Commission as well as granted funding from the EU's Innovation and Networks Executive Agency. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2023.