Mr. Jim Gannon:

On the enduring connection policy, we have seen some movement at European level, with directives and in the recent publications last year such as the Fit for 55 plan and the REPowerEU plan, where those concerned are looking to fast-track both the processing of renewable electricity projects and the underpinning of infrastructure. This is to see how many of those statutory and other processes can be put in parallel to each other, and which can be shortened or accelerated to get things built faster, while still allowing the important democratic process as set out.

As we seek to do this for connection policy - it is not just for conventional generators but also for renewable generators, types of batteries and the types of low carbon system services such as synchronised condensers we have spoken about previously - we felt it also was important that, as this is developing, we would still provide a set of goalposts for those with projects in the pipeline and with projects in the renewable electricity support scheme pipeline. For the coming year, we decided to host another round in October. The enduring connection policy, ECP, round is something that developers are very familiar with now. We have done this for the past number of years on a regular basis to facilitate projects going through the pipeline, as the faster-track process is being developed. The latter is being developed with the Department and with other EPA licensing processes, the planning process, and other statutory processes to try to get that alignment but in the meantime, we will provide that goalpost so the pipeline can continue to move.

On the broader comment, on interconnections and interconnection policy, we have agreed the regulatory framework for the Celtic interconnector. That project is now progressing well and we expect it to come into service in 2026. The Greenlink interconnector is now in construction. We expect this to be commissioned at the end of 2024 and to enter service about that time, which is in advance of the Celtic interconnector.