List of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom including some under construction or proposed.
During 2021 interconnectors provided 28TWh of electricity to the UK, which equates to 10% of total demand, whilst in 2009 this figure was 7TWh. [1]
Interconnectors allow the trade of electricity between countries with excess renewable generation and those with high demand. Interconnectors play a key part in balancing variable renewable generation, for example the North Sea Link allows the UK to export excess power to Norway during windy periods to conserve Norwegian hydro stocks and import Norwegian hydro power on less windy days. [2]
During 2022 the UK exported record amounts of power to mainland Europe, helping to alleviate the effects of the war in Ukraine on European security of supply. [3]
Per the below list the United Kingdom has as of 2023 [update] an international interconnector capacity of 9,700 MW. [4]
Name | Developers | Substation UK | Substation 2 | Length (km) | Voltage (kV) | Power (MW) | Operational | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HVDC Cross-Channel | National Grid Interconnectors and RTE | Sellindge | Bonningues-lès-Calais | 73 | ±270 | 2,000 | 1986 | submarine HVDC |
BritNed | National Grid Interconnectors and TenneT | Isle of Grain | Maasvlakte | 260 | 450 | 1,000 | 2011 | submarine HVDC |
East–West Interconnector | EirGrid Interconnector Designated Activity Company | Shotton, Flintshire | Rush, Dublin | 261 | ±200 | 500 | 2012 | submarine HVDC |
Nemo Link | National Grid Interconnectors and Elia | Richborough | Zeebrugge | 140 | 400 | 1,000 | 2019 | submarine HVDC |
IFA-2 | National Grid Interconnectors and RTE | Lee-on-the-Solent | Tourbe, France | 204 | ±320 | 1,000 | 2021 | submarine HVDC |
North Sea Link | National Grid Interconnectors and Statnett | Blyth, Northumberland | Kvilldal | 720 | ±515 | 1,400 | 2021 | submarine HVDC |
ElecLink | Getlink | Folkestone | Peuplingues | 51 | ±320 | 1,000 | 2022 | Channel Tunnel HVDC |
Viking Link | National Grid Interconnectors and Energinet | Bicker Fen | Revsing, Jutland | 765 | 525 | 1,400 | 2023 | submarine HVDC |
Greenlink | Element Power & Partners Group | Pembroke | Great Island | 190 | 320 | 500 | 2024 (planned) | submarine HVDC |
NeuConnect | Meridiam, Allianz and Kansai Electric Power | Isle of Grain | Wilhelmshaven | 725 | 525 | 1,400 | 2028 (planned) | submarine HVDC |
Gridlink Interconnector | GridLink Interconnector Ltd | Kingsnorth | Warande | 140 | 525 | 1,400 | 2027 (proposed) | submarine HVDC |
Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project | Xlinks Ltd | Alverdiscott | Tan-Tan | 3,800 | ±(TBD) | 3,600 | 2029 (proposed) | submarine, dual HVDC |
FAB Link | RTE and FAB Link Limited | Exeter Airport | L'Étang-Bertrand (lieu-dit Menuel) | 220 | ±320 | 1,250 | 2030/31 (proposed) | submarine HVDC |
AQUIND | AQUIND Limited | Lovedean | Barnabos | 240 | ±320 | 2,000 | 2026 (proposed) | submarine HVDC |
LionLink [5] | National Grid Ventures and TenneT | TBD. Most likely: Friston, Suffolk or Walberswick [6] | TBD | TBD | TBD | 1,800 | 2030+ (proposed) [7] | submarine HVDC with ability to connect to offshore wind farms |
Nautilus [8] | National Grid Ventures and Elia | TBD. Most likely: Friston, Suffolk or Isle of Grain [8] | TBD | TBD | TBD | 1,400 | 2028 (proposed) [9] | submarine HVDC with ability to connect to offshore wind farms |
Per the below list the United Kingdom has as of 2023 [update] a national interconnector capacity of 3,950 MW. [4]
Name | Developers | Substation 1 | Substation 2 | Length (km) | Voltage (kV) | Power (MW) | Operational | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moyle Interconnector | Mutual Energy | Auchencrosh, South Ayrshire | Ballycronan More | 63.5 | 250 | 500 | 2001 | submarine HVDC |
Caithness - Moray Link | Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks | Caithness | Moray | 160 | 320 | 1,200 | 2019 | submarine HVDC |
Western HVDC Link | National Grid plc and ScottishPower Transmission | Hunterston | Flintshire Bridge | 422 | 600 | 2,250 | 2019 | submarine HVDC |
Shetland HVDC Connection | Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission | Upper Kergord Valley, Shetland | Caithness HVDC switching station, near Wick | 260 | 320 | 600 | 2024 (planned) | submarine HVDC |
The electricity sector in Norway relies predominantly on hydroelectricity. A significant share of the total electrical production is consumed by national industry.
The HVDC Cross-Channel is the 73-kilometre-long (45 mi) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnector that has operated since 1986 under the English Channel between the continental European grid at Bonningues-lès-Calais and the British electricity grid at Sellindge. The cable is also known as IFA, and should not be confused with the new IFA-2, another interconnect with France that is three times as long but only half as powerful.
The National Grid is the high-voltage electric power transmission network serving Great Britain, connecting power stations and major substations, and ensuring that electricity generated anywhere on the grid can be used to satisfy demand elsewhere. The network serves the majority of Great Britain and some of the surrounding islands. It does not cover Northern Ireland, which is part of the Irish single electricity market.
A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water. These are called "submarine" because they usually carry electric power beneath salt water but it is also possible to use submarine power cables beneath fresh water. Examples of the latter exist that connect the mainland with large islands in the St. Lawrence River.
The East–West Interconnector is a 500 MW high-voltage direct current submarine and subsoil power cable which connects the Irish and British electricity markets. The project was developed by the Irish national grid operator EirGrid.
Hydro-Québec's electricity transmission system is an international electric power transmission system centred in Quebec, Canada. The system pioneered the use of very high voltage 735-kilovolt (kV) alternating current (AC) power lines that link the population centres of Montreal and Quebec City to distant hydroelectric power stations like the Daniel-Johnson Dam and the James Bay Project in northwestern Quebec and the Churchill Falls Generating Station in Labrador.
NordLink is a subsea 1,400 megawatt (MW) HVDC power cable between Norway and Germany, opened in May 2021. The over 500 kilometres (310 mi) long cable operates at a voltage of 500 kV DC.
TenneT is a transmission system operator in the Netherlands and in a large part of Germany.
BritNed is a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) submarine power cable between the Isle of Grain in Kent, the United Kingdom; and Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The North Sea Link is a 1,400 MW high-voltage direct current submarine power cable between Norway and the United Kingdom.
Denmark's western electrical grid is part of the Synchronous grid of Continental Europe whereas the eastern part is connected to the Synchronous grid of Northern Europe via Sweden.
The Malta–Sicily interconnector is the submarine power cable which connects the power grid of Malta with the Italian Transmission Network managed by Terna, which is part of the European grid. It was constructed in 2014-2015, and supplies roughly 1⁄4 of Malta's electrical power.
COBRAcable is a ±320 kV, 700 MW HVDC submarine power cable pair between Eemshaven, the Netherlands and Endrup near Esbjerg, Denmark. The cable is jointly owned by Energinet.dk and TenneT. Its purpose is to improve the European transmission grid and thus increase the amount of variable wind power in the system while improving supply reliability. Its 700 MW capacity corresponds to an annual transmission capacity of 6.1 TWh.
Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited, commonly referred to as KETRACO, is a wholly-owned parastatal of the Government of Kenya which serves as the primary Transmission System Operator in the Republic of Kenya.
Viking Link is a 1,400 MW HVDC submarine power cable between the United Kingdom and Denmark completed in 2023.
The high-voltage electricity substations in the United Kingdom are listed in the following tables. The substations provide entry points to, and exit points from, the National Grid (GB) or Northern Ireland Electricity Network. Entry points include power stations, major wind farms and inter-connectors from other countries and regions. Exit points are to lower voltage transmission and distribution substations which are also shown in the tables.
Gridlink Interconnector is a proposed submarine power cable between England and France. The 1,400 MW high-voltage direct current connector would link Kingsnorth National Grid substation in north Kent, England, with Réseau de Transport d'Électricité Warande substation in Bourbourg (Nord) near Dunkirk in northern France.
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