Norway-UK electricity link to start testing this month
Norway will begin testing its subsea electricity interconnector with the UK, the North Sea Link, this month, transmission system operator Statnett said today.
The 720-kilometre-long cable connects Kvildall in southern Norway with Blyth in northern England, and is owned by Statnett and National Grid.
When operational, it will be able to provide enough power for 1.4m homes.
It has full capacity of 1,450 megawatts. The grid operators will begin by sending 700 megawatts along the cable both ways, before ramping up to full voltage by September.
The UK currently has three working interconnectors, which join the electricity grids of two countries, allowing them to share power.
Along with existing cables to France, Netherlands and Belgium, and the North Sea Link, the UK is also building two more interconnectors with France and Denmark.
By 2024, the cables will be able to transmit 7.8 gigawatts of power between Great Britain and Europe enough to supply 25 per cent of Britain’s electricity requirements.
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