HVDC Interconnectors

[dan_b]

News!

Ofgen has just approved 5 planned new HVDC Interconnectors for development. 2 were not previously on my list.
None will be up and running before 2030 at the earliest, and compared to what I was aware of actually "only" represents an additional 1.4GW of overall planned HVDC connections, but shows the continued direction of travel.

Tarchon Link - 1.4GW connector from Essex to Germany.
Mares Connect - 750MW connector from Wales to Republic of Ireland
LirIC - 700MW connection from Scotland to Northern Ireland

and these two "Offshore Hybrid Asset" links - both will join to an offshore windfarm before supplying countries at both ends as well

LionLink - 1.8GW between Suffolk and the Netherlands
Nautilus Link - 1.4GW between the Isle of Grain and Belgium

This brings the UK to 19GW or so of interconnectors by 2032 or thereabouts.

For additional context, the first "OHA" - Kriegers Flack - was built a few years ago with an offshore wind farm in the Baltic sea which connects to both Denmark and Germany https://powerplants.vattenfall.com/kriegers-flak/

[dan_b]

Update!
Neuconnect (the one to Germany) - they've completed "phase 1" of the cable laying - 56km of on-shore and near-shore sub-sea cabling have been laid in the UK. Construction will now pause over the winter. Still on target for commissioning in 2028

[Ken]

i welcome your updates -keep them coming.

[Mart]

Yep, they always put on a smile on my face too.

[dan_b]

Update - Greenlink (the new 0.5GW connection from Wales to Ireland) - has begun power transmission testing and if all goes well should enter full service in January 2025.

[Mart]

Update - Greenlink (the new 0.5GW connection from Wales to Ireland) - has begun power transmission testing and if all goes well should enter full service in January 2025.

Grrrrr, that's local energy, for local people. How very dare they!

[Moxi]

Gives us chance to build some more turbines, some tidal and some pumped storage and make Wales an energy exporter Mart.

Would be nice to have Trydan Cymraeg as a national business.

Moxi

[Mart]

Absolutely Moxi, Wales has a lot of potential, and also sheep that need shade ..... one day per year.

[Moxi]

Rest of the time those panels make great umbrellas for the dafadd

Moxi

[Stinsy]

On the topic of security of undersea cables:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fi ... 024-12-25/

Some suggesting foul play and noting that a Chinese ship was in the vicinity at the time…