Amazon submits application to construct underwater fibre optic cable off coast of Wexford

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Amazon Ireland has submitted an application to install a sub-sea fibre optic cable off the coast of Kilmore Quay with the aim of “providing next‑generation data services” between Ireland and the UK. The overall site is approximately 38.5km in length and will connect Kilmore Quay to Pembrokeshire, Wales from the end of the existing foreshore licence to the boundary of the economic exclusion zone (EEZ).

The cables will be 33mm in diameter, will be buried to an average depth of approximately 1.5 m and are expected to have an operational life of 35 years.

In its application, Amazon refers to the development as the Beaufort Cable System and points out that this is a potential upgrade to a fibre optic cable which was first installed off the coast of Co Wexford in 1999 which it says played a “transformative role in reshaping Ireland’s telecommunications landscape”.

However, that system “reached the end of its operational lifespan in 2024” and, as Ireland’s demand for digital bandwidth grows, Amazon says that replacing the old cable has “become essential to sustaining resilient, high-capacity, international connectivity”.

"The Beaufort Cable System aims to introduce modern high-speed capacity . . . and support Ireland’s broader economic, social, and industrial development through a state-of-the-art fibre-optic link,” it states in its application.

Having assessed the potential route of the cable, Amazon mapped a corridor which avoids the special area of conservation (SAC) which surrounds the Saltee Islands to avoid any “potential disturbance of sensitive habitats” and “ensure secure burial while minimising seabed disturbance”.

Given the nature of the development and its potential impact on the local fishing community, Amazon says it has been “engaging directly with the local community of Kilmore Quay since 2022”.

"This engagement has included multiple face to face meetings about the project and updates on project progress with local representatives,” it said. “This engagement has included meetings with Wexford County Council, local TDs, local councillors and representatives of the Kilmore Quay Community Development Association (KQCDA).”

In addition, it notes that it has provided funding over €125,000 to 15 separate projects in the local community and is currently in discussions with the community for further impact funding in 2026.

According to Amazon, the installation of the cable will follow a “carefully sequenced offshore construction process designed to ensure technical accuracy, environmental protection, and long-term operational resilience”. It will be carried out via a vessel which will pick up the end of the cable from Kilmore Quay, at a depth of 15 metres, and this will then be jointed to the main cable on board the vessel – the jointing process takes approximately 18-24 hours to complete.

The vessel will then proceed to deploy and bury the cable in the seabed. The burial tool is operated from and powered by the vessel and is designed to bury the cable at a depth such that the cable will be secure from fishing activities.

Amazon’s application was lodged with the national planning authority, An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), on April 22 of this year. ACP is expected to make a ruling on the application by the end of 2026.