NeuConnect is an high-voltage direct current submarine power cable under construction since 2023 between the Isle of Grain, England and Wilhelmshaven Germany, expected to operate in 2028.[1][2][3][4] The cost of £2.4 billion (€2.8 billion) is financed by Meridiam from France and German Allianz Capital Partners.
| NeuConnect Interconnector | |
|---|---|
 Map of NeuConnect Interconnector | |
| Location | |
| Country | Germany, United Kingdom |
| General direction | east-west |
| From | Germany |
| Passes through | North Sea |
| To | England |
| Construction information | |
| Expected | 2023 |
| Technical information | |
| Type | submarine cable |
| Type of current | HVDC |
| Total length | 725 km (450 mi) |
| Power rating | 1,400 MW |
| AC voltage | 380 kV GER/400 kV UK |
| DC voltage | 525 kV |
Project status
editThe main construction phase started in 2023.[5][6] As of June 2023[update], operation was expected to start in 2028.[5][6] On 21 May 2024, Gregory Hands and Robert Habeck made a symbolic groundbreaking in Germany.[7]
Route
editThe cable will run between a new substation[8] on the Isle of Grain, in Kent in England to the Fedderwarden substation in Wilhelmshaven in the Lower Saxony region of Germany.[2][3] Landfall will be next to Grain Coastal Park, in Kent, and at Hooksiel, near Wilhelmshaven in Germany.[8]
At 725 km in length, the interconnector will be one of the longest worldwide.[9]
Economics
editAs of 2022 the project was expected to cost £2.4 billion (€2.8 billion). The project is expected to deliver £1.7 billion in consumer benefits to UK consumers over 25 years, and could deliver a net reduction in carbon emissions of over 13MtCO2 in the same time.[9]
The project is privately financed by Meridiam from France and German investors include Allianz Capital Partners. It is planned to exchange electricity on days with excess production on one side and a deficit on the other side of the Channel, as both countries have been expanding their wind turbine capacities and production has become more volatile.[10] Britain, an electricity importer, where 5.4 percent of its 2020 demand was covered from abroad, hopes that the connection will lead to lower electricity costs for consumers, where the price of electricity has been permanently higher than in Germany.[11]
Technical specification
editThe HVDC link will consist of two main cables, each approximately 720 km (450 miles) long, together with a much thinner fibre optic cable for temperature and acoustic sensing for about 150 km (93 miles) from each landfall. The DC element will operate at 525 kV,[12] with a maximum capacity of 1,400 MW.[8]
History
editHistorically, both countries already have had interconnectors through the North Sea with other countries: NordLink between Norwegian hydropower plants and German wind power and Britain as net electricity importer has interconnectors with France, Ireland and the Netherlands.[11]
Neuconnect Britain Ltd. was established in 2018.[9] NeuConnect received Interim Project Approval from Ofgem in January 2018.[13] Public consultation events were held in July 2019.[13] In December 2019, the planning application was submitted to Medway Council[13] and invitations to Tender were launched [13][14] In January 2020, the Federal Network Agency in Germany (BNetzA) confirmed the NeuConnect interconnector project in its 2019-2030 grid development plan.[13] In April 2020, Neuconnect completed site survey work on the Isle of Grain.[15] A €1.2 billion cable contract was awarded in February 2022,[16][17] and substations contract in April.[18][17]
In July 2022, the project reached financial close, allowing early construction works to begin later in 2022. [9] In October 2022, the cable manufacturer Prysmian started production of the 725km cable.[19] As of December 2022[update], early construction works had started in Wilhelmshaven and Isle of Grain,[20] and manufacture of the cable had started.[19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Project Overview". NeuConnect. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ a b "NeuConnect Interconnector". 4Coffshore. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Project 309 - NeuConnect". TYNDP 2018 Europe's Network Development Plan to 2025, 2030 and 2040. entsoe. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^
McGovan, Jack (21 May 2024). "Construction on major North Sea powerline to UK begins in Germany". Clean Energy Wire. Berlin, Germany. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
- ^ a b "Work starts on £2.4bn NeuConnect Interconnector project between UK and Germany". The Engineer. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ a b "FIRST EVER UK-GERMAN ENERGY LINK MOVES AHEAD AS CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON £2.4BN NEUCONNECT PROJECT UK MINISTER FOR INVESTMENT, GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UK AND UK ENERGY SECURITY SECRETARY CONGRATULATE NEUCONNECT TEAM ON MAJOR MILESTONE". Press release. NeuConnect. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Spatenstich für erste deutsch-britische Stromleitung". Tagesschau (in German). 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ a b c Proposals for the NeuConnect Interconnector Public Information Leaflet (PDF). NeuConnect. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d "FIRST EVER UK-GERMAN ENERGY LINK MOVES AHEAD AS £2.4BN/€2.8BN NEUCONNECT PROJECT REACHES FINANCIAL CLOSE" (Press release). NeuConnect News. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ ppl (2024-05-22). "Stromtrasse nach England". Frankfurter Allgemeine.
- ^ a b "„NeuConnect": Das soll die gigantische Stromautobahn unter Wasser leisten". Welt (in German). 2021-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ "Onshore Konverterstation" (in German). NeuConnect. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Project News". NeuConnect. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "NEUCONNECT'S MAJOR £1BN PROCUREMENT PROGRAMME MOVES TO NEXT STAGE, KEEPING VITAL NEW ENERGY LINK FIRMLY ON TRACK". Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "NEUCONNECT COMPLETES SITE SURVEY WORKS AS NEW ENERGY LINK CONTINUES TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS". NeuConnect. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Prysmian Wins EUR 1.2 Billion Contract to Deliver UK-Germany Interconnector". Offshore Wind. 2 March 2022.
- ^ a b "NEUCONNECT AWARDS OVER £1.5BN OF MAJOR CONTRACTS AS FIRST EVER UK-GERMAN ENERGY LINK MOVES AN IMPORTANT STEP CLOSER". News. NeuConnect. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
Contractors selected for cabling and converter station works on new interconnector that will connect two of Europe's largest energy markets for first time
- ^ "Siemens Energy receives order for power connection to Great Britain". www.windtech-international.com.
- ^ a b "CABLING PRODUCTION STARTS ON NEUCONNECT IN IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR FIRST EVER UK-GERMAN ENERGY LINK". NeuConnect News Releases. NeuConnect. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "NEUCONNECT COMPLETES A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES WITH EARLY WORKS NOW UNDERWAY ON FIRST EVER UK-GERMAN ENERGY LINK". NeuConnect News. NeuConnect. Retrieved 23 December 2022.