Country |
Norway United Kingdom |
---|---|
General direction | northeast–southwest |
From | Kvilldal, Norway |
Passes through | North Sea |
To | Blyth, England |
Partners |
Statnett National Grid plc |
Manufacturer of conductor/cable |
Prysmian (offshore section) Nexans (onshore section) |
Cable layer | C/S Giulio Verne C/S Nexans Skagerrak |
Manufacturer of substations | ABB |
Installer of substations | ABB |
Expected | 2021 |
Type | submarine cable |
Type of current | HVDC |
Total length | 730 km (450 mi) |
Power rating | 1,400 MW |
No. of circuits | 2 |
The North Sea Link (also known as North Sea Network Link or NSN Link, HVDC Norway–Great Britain, and Norway–UK interconnector) is a 1,400 MW subsea high-voltage direct current electricity cable under construction between Norway and the United Kingdom. It is a joint project of the transmission system operators Statnett and National Grid plc and is due to be completed in 2021.
The project was first proposed in 2003 when Statnett and National Grid prepared a 1,200 MW interconnector between Suldal in Norway and Easington, County Durham, in the United Kingdom. This project was suspended.
On 6 October 2009, Statnett and National Grid announced they were conducting a feasibility study of the cable. According to the pre-feasibility study the project will be economically and technologically feasible. It will be a commercial cable jointly owned by Statnett and National Grid NSN Link Limited, a subsidiary of National Grid. National Grid quotes various groups in favor of more interconnections. In March 2015, Statnett and National Grid announced a decision to "start the construction phase", a month after announcing the "Nemo link", a similar connection between the United Kingdom and Belgium. Along with Viking Link from Denmark, they would increase the UK's electricity interconnection level (transmission capacity relative to production capacity) from the 6% it was in 2014.
The cable will run from Kvilldal, Suldal, in Norway, to Blyth in the United Kingdom. The route survey of the offshore section was conducted by MMT in 2012. Its converter station in England will be located near to the cable landfall in East Sleekburn village and it will be connected to the National Grid at the Blyth substation.