Cable works on the Viking Link interconnector has been completed, a milestone that connects the electricity grids of the UK and Denmark.
The final section of the high voltage subsea cable joining Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire with Jutland in Denmark was completed offshore in the North Sea by Prysmian’s Cable Laying Vessel 'Leonardo da Vinci' and its team.
Due to be complete by the end of the year, the £1.7bn project is a joint venture between National Grid and Danish system operator Energinet. At 475 miles, Viking Link will be the world’s longest land and subsea interconnector.
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The cable joining process, which took place in Danish waters over several days, involved lifting the sections of cables out of the water and joining each conductor/strand together on the Cable Laying Vessel.
In a statement, Rebecca Sedler, managing director for Interconnectors, said: “This is a fantastic moment for the UK and Denmark, and a key milestone for the world record project, as we join the electricity networks of our two countries for the first time.
“Interconnectors bring huge benefits to the UK, acting as clean energy super-highways, allowing us to move surplus green energy from where it is generated to where it is needed the most. That means that we can import cheaper and cleaner energy from our neighbours when we need it, and vice versa.
“As countries begin to integrate more offshore wind generation into their energy systems, interconnectors will become critical for transporting clean and green energy and helping to manage the intermittent nature of renewable sources.”
Earlier this year National Grid announced plans for LionLink, a 1.8GW Offshore Hybrid Asset (OHA) between the UK and the Netherlands. A second OHA – Nautilus - is also in the planning phase, with the potential to connect with Belgium.
According to National Grid, OHAs are the next phase of interconnection, joining two countries together and connecting with offshore wind generation.
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