Irish Research Council signs ‘Letter of Intent’ with EirGrid and RTÉ France
Posted: 31 May, 2019
The Irish Research Council, together with the French Embassy in Ireland, signed a Letter of Intent today with EirGrid and Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTÉ) to mark their commitment to supporting the ‘Ulysses’ research programme over the next four years.
Ulysses is coordinated by the Irish Research Council and the French Embassy in Ireland. Under a new strand, it will facilitate joint research projects in the area of renewable energy, bringing together researchers in France and Ireland.
The official signing took place at an event in Cork, with distinguished guests in attendance, including: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, TD; Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, TD; and the French Minister for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, François de Rugy.
The signing of the Letter of Intent today coincided with the announcement that EirGrid and RTÉ are jointly submitting an EU grant application to develop the Celtic Interconnector project, which aims to create a direct link between France and Ireland’s electricity grids. The Celtic Interconnector will facilitate higher levels of renewable energy generation. In this context, EirGrid and RTÉ will support Ulysses research projects in the area of renewable energies and smart grids, in particular.
RTÉ and EirGrid intend to support 20 projects under the Ulysses programme between 2019 and 2023.
Commenting in Cork today, the Director of the Irish Research Council, Peter Brown, said: “We are delighted to have this commitment from EirGrid and RTÉ to the Ulysses programme for the next four years. We look forward to cultivating new opportunities for research collaboration between Ireland and France in the increasingly important area of renewable energy. In addition to fostering new knowledge, the initiative will support expanding connections between researchers in our two countries.”
