Power networks/Ireland
This page describes the electrical power network of Ireland (Q27), including Northern Ireland (Q26). It also provides guidance on how to map the network accurately in OpenStreetMap.
High-voltage Electrical Network
State of the map
TODO : Take a JOSM screenshot of the country current power network. More info in power networks country page template
Network description
Voltages and frequency
Frequency : 50 Hz
| Network | Voltage | Comments | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission | 400 kV | EirGrid | |
| Transmission | 380 kV | EirGrid, ESB Generation and Wholesale Markets; nominal voltage in one power plant only | |
| Transmission | 275 kV | NIE Networks | |
| Transmission | 220 kV | EirGrid | |
| Transmission | 110 kV | EirGrid, ESB Networks, NIE Networks | |
| Distribution | 38 kV | ESB Networks | |
| Distribution | 33 kV | NIE Networks, various wind farms | |
| Traction | 25 kV | Iarnród Éireann—Irish Rail, used for Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR) project only (under construction) | |
| Generation | 22 kV | RUSAL; nominal voltage in one power plant / industrial site only | |
| Generation | 21 kV | ESB Generation and Wholesale Markets; nominal voltage in one power plant only | |
| Distribution | 20 kV | ESB Networks | |
| Generation | 17 kV | ESB Generation and Wholesale Markets; nominal voltage in one power plant only | |
| Generation | 16 kV | Coolkeeragh ESB Limited; nominal voltage in one power plant only | |
| Distribution | 11 kV | NIE Networks | |
| Generation | 10.5 kV | ESB Generation and Wholesale Markets; nominal voltage in some power plants only | |
| Distribution | 10 kV | ESB Networks; gradually being upgraded to 20 kV | |
| Distribution | 6.6 kV | NIE Networks; Belfast only, to be upgraded to 11 kV | |
| Minor distribution | 400 V | ESB Networks, NIE Networks; may be written as 380 V or 415 V in some documents | |
| Minor distribution | 230 V | ESB Networks, NIE Networks; may be written as 220 V or 240 V in some documents |
Frequency : 0 Hz (DC)
| Network | Voltage | Comments | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission | 400 kV | EirGrid; used for HVDC only | |
| Transmission | 320 kV | Greenlink Interconnector Limited, Celtic Interconnector; used for HVDC only | |
| Transmission | 250 kV | Mutual Energy, used for HVDC only | |
| Traction | 1500 V | Iarnród Éireann—Irish Rail, used for DART network only | |
| Traction | 750 V | Luas - Transdev Dublin Light Rail Limited, used for Luas network only |
Operators
| Operator | Network | Wikidata | Website | Wikipedia | Operating area | Information | Label | Taginfo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EirGrid | Transmission | Q1310503 WhatLinksHere |
https://www.eirgrid.ie/ | en:EirGrid | Republic of Ireland | operator=EirGridoperator:wikidata=Q1310503
|
operator=EirGrid
| |
| ESB Networks | Distribution | Q115224013 WhatLinksHere |
https://www.esbnetworks.ie/ | en:ESB Group | Republic of Ireland | operator=ESB Networksoperator:wikidata=Q115224013
|
operator=ESB Networks
| |
| Northern Ireland Electricity Networks | Transmission & Distribution | Q7058492 WhatLinksHere |
https://www.nienetworks.co.uk/ | en:Northern Ireland Electricity | Northern Ireland | operator=NIE Networksoperator:wikidata=Q7058492
|
operator=NIE Networks
|
Interconnections
| Neighbour country | Structure name | Year of commissioning | Technology | Voltage | Local end | Foreign end | OSM circuit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Moyle Interconnector | 2001 | HVDC | 250 kV DC | 137050527 137050527 |
148382435 148382435 |
6914309 6914309 |
|
| United Kingdom | East–West Interconnector | 2012 | HVDC | 200 kV DC | 260836695 260836695 |
536905500 536905500 |
8184641 8184641 |
|
| United Kingdom | Greenlink | 2025 | HVDC | 320 kV DC | 1154822210 1154822210 |
1151065330 1151065330 |
15775507 15775507 |
|
| France | Celtic Interconnector | 2028 | HVDC | 320 kV DC | 762991091 762991091 |
1198787070 1198787070 |
18462575 18462575 |
Currently Under Construction |
Planned projects
- ...
Data Sources
| Source | License | Date | Suitable for OSM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grid Capacity | ? | ? | ? | - |
Network statistics
Ireland has 315 power plants totalling 13,353 MW and 41,411 km of power lines mapped on OpenStreetMap (from OpenInfraMap, last update 2025-09-13)
Power line
| Power Lines Voltage | Length |
|---|---|
| < 10 kV | 383 km |
| 10 kV - 25 kV | 13,156 km |
| 25 kV - 52 kV | 6,293 km |
| 52 kV - 132 kV | 5,121 km |
| 132 kV - 220 kV | 17 km |
| 220 kV - 330 kV | 1,823 km |
| 330 kV - 550 kV | 469 km |
| > 550 kV | 0 km |
| No voltage tagged | 14,145 km |
| Total | 41,411 km |
Electricity generation
Mapping process and community
Mapping success stories
TODO : Success stories are designed to highlight important contributions. Have you significantly improved the cartography of a country (added a new line, a power station, etc.)? Don't be shy, let us know below.
- Example : NAME [DATE YYYY-MM-DD]: My success stories in words.
Encountered problems and places to improve
- ....
Use of mapping strategies
TODO : Mapping strategies refer to Power networks/Guidelines#Mapping strategies. They are used for a methodical improvement of the OSM database. Once you have fully applied a strategy in this country, you should add or update your name, the date, the strategy, and a comment below. This way, other users can see whether it is worthwhile to carry out further investigations.
- Example : Search for "Unfinished major power lines" - last time applied by XXX [2025-MM-DD]
- .... - last time applied by XXX [2025-MM-DD]