A private developer is to build a 150 mile cable under the Channel capable of carrying up to 2 gigawatts of electricity between the UK and France, matching the amount already transferred through existing interconnectors.
The interconnector will be able to transfer electricity both ways between the two countries, allowing for backup power to be passed on if either country is in need. It will connect French port Le Havre to Lovedean in England, near Portsmouth and is set to be built by 2021.
The cable is set to cost around £1.1 billion and is being built by a company called Aquind, headed by Ukranian born entrepreneur Alexander Temerko with backing from various private investors.
Sitting on the board of Aquind is Conservative peer Lord Callanan who described the project as an important step towards protecting the UK from blackouts if energy demand gets too high in the near future.
He said: “With a growing energy supply gap threatening UK households and businesses, there’s an urgent need for a fast and reliable way to introduce new capacity. The interconnector will significantly ease the pressure on the UK grid and reduce the risk of blackouts.”
The risk of an energy supply shortage has heightened recently, as coal and gas pants across the country continue to close down, with new supply not coming onto the grid quite quick enough.
Energy market analysts Enappsys issued a warning that if demand for energy this winter matches that seen last year, then National Grid is likely to have to resort to emergency measures once more, pushing prices up for consumers. However, they did say that despite supply tightening, the lights are likely to remain on throughout the winter.
When built, the Aquind interconnector will be the fifth of its kind linking the UK to other European nations.
One already exists between England and France, and others connect mainland Britain with Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands. The one existing interconnector between England and France is the largest in terms of capacity, at 2GW, and so Aquind’s will become the joint largest when built.
Aquind’s is one of a few new interconnectors planned to be built in the coming years, with interconnectivity generally seen as an important mechanism to ensure energy supply. Many European nations already have active interconnector systems which are used often. Last year, Denmark produced significantly more than their required amount of energy through wind power alone, and the surplus was sent to Germany, Norway and Sweden.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change spoke of the mechanisms importance. A spokesperson said: “Interconnection will play a key role in providing clean and secure energy for families and businesses. A number of new projects that will nearly triple our interconnection capacity are already in the pipeline and we are looking at the viability of other interesting proposals.”
