Celtic Interconnector

[Oldgreybeard]

I've been meaning to give one of those ago, ever since watching a BigClive video about them some time ago. The thing that concerned me was what the real world battery life would be and whether or not they were rechargeable as standard or whether I've need to faff around with NiMH cells. Might have a look around and see what's available, now that we are well into the torch carrying season.

[Moxi]

There is a nice, now redundant, 2GW grid connection at the end of our lane - used to carry power from Dungeness A & B stations. Nice big building already there as well, about the same size as the Sellinge converter station building, possibly bigger. Only 20 miles from the coast of Franceland. Cables on the pylons are OK as there were only replaced 2 years ago. Problem solved ,

MM I must have driven past your place endless times when I was working down at "Dung B". I was down your neck of the woods again last month, but this time further to the East at West Hythe so I could only just see the old stations in the murky distance.

Moxi

[Ken]

National Grid will charge transmission costs as well if going through the UK

[Mr Gus]

Makes sense, though with all the bi-directional energy swapping going on there would be some form of concession these days.

[dan_b]

Gus, there are already 3x interconnectors from South England to Northern France, with another one in planning and but a 5th and 6th having recently been cancelled due to planning issues (The AQUIND project was basically a corrupt proposal, and the other one was scrapped by France's regulator as not value for money).

Republic of Ireland is part of the EU, and England isn't. The EU has a policy of increasing Interconnectors across the whole Bloc so this will no doubt be part of that.

I am a little surprised that the capacity is relatively low for a relatively long cable run, but I don't really know much about the size of Ireland's grid.

Icelink has been quiet for a long time. Now rebranded as "Atlantic SuperConnector" - they're claiming to have some funding in place for a now planned 1.8GW link (up from 1GW). But there are issues in Iceland that would need solving - including apparently that they would need to build a new power station to service the link, and also with the proposed Scottish connection site there not actually being enough grid capacity to permit the onward transmission of the incoming power - it's already quite grid constrained up there when the wind blows...

I'm confused as to why from (south) england to france is not happening yet from ireland is, ..context anyone, politics, abject stupidity or what!?

500+ km of cable, and one that is deemed a tiddler by modern standards, sitting on this for 9 years & counting as a plan) that is now 3 times the cost (ish) ..means it is doubtful.the iceland link of 1200 odd km is likely ever to happen.

So is there going to be a ban on any russian vessels to sea after this!? ..hmm new age, & new perceived threats

(incidentally the majority of uk fish is apparently russian vessel "landed" ..they were the first ones to go big, back in the early 80's dominating the scottish ports & killing off so much of our small boat fishing fleet, more threat wilfully ignored by British govt for decades)

[Moxi]

There must be an upper economic limit to the number of interconnectors between countries and continents, and we must be getting close to it already (at least from an export perspective).

The vulnerability of seabed infrastructure must also now be more of a consideration given recent activities.

Moxi

[Oldgreybeard]

The vulnerability of seabed infrastructure must also now be more of a consideration given recent activities.

Moxi

Very much this, I think. I remember watching one of the Warship TV programmes a few months ago, when the ship was tracking a Russian submarine, believed to be one of their specialist cable tampering ones (like this, perhaps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_s ... e_Losharik). There was also something about exactly this in the media earlier this year: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... sea-cables

[Mr Gus]

Gus, there are already 3x interconnectors from South England to Northern France, with another one in planning and but a 5th and 6th having recently been cancelled due to planning issues (The AQUIND project was basically a corrupt proposal, and the other one was scrapped by France's regulator as not value for money).

Republic of Ireland is part of the EU, and England isn't. The EU has a policy of increasing Interconnectors across the whole Bloc so this will no doubt be part of that.

[/quote]

Understood, did not know aquind changed names (what else I wonder)

So, we already have interconnects, we already supply europe, on a 2 way (as designed basis) ...we are not europe "partners" anymore, ..so does this mean we are neing phased out of the interconnection set up or not (be it by our govt or the eu)

There will always be transmission costs, but again already set up because interconnects already exist, so bearing in mind the giddy price for sea-bed work, why not go the shorter route? are National grids transmission costs to be balked at pricewise?

& whose waters (sea-bed) are the cables laid along? crown estate, i'm assuming they are paying something to someone, ..where . how does it still make sense to run the same length when prices of the kit used hae nigh on tripled (as per original piece) & its not yet off the ground, so presumably cable not paid for & stockpiled, laying ship not leased & crewed etc.

IE how much more expensive must it be on original costings to integrate flow with the uk, & to a point use each other as a back up too in partnership, rather than the long route apparently chosen? ..is where the piece is entirely lacking based on 2013 planning & a t1t5 up covid/ war / fuel price gouging scenario sending europe & further afield into economic freefall (not that it was easy before)

[AE-NMidlands]

The vulnerability of seabed infrastructure must also now be more of a consideration given recent activities.

Moxi

Very much this, I think. I remember watching one of the Warship TV programmes a few months ago, when the ship was tracking a Russian submarine, believed to be one of their specialist cable tampering ones (like this, perhaps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_s ... e_Losharik). There was also something about exactly this in the media earlier this year: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... sea-cables

That wikipedia link has an interesting final paragraph:

Forensic investigation has shown that the fire started with a massive explosion in the submarine's battery compartment. Burning batteries fuelled the fire despite the best efforts of the crew. Losharik was designed to use silver-zinc batteries made in Ukraine. After the worsening of Russia–Ukraine relations caused by the war in Donbass, the batteries were substituted with lithium-ion batteries produced by Saint Petersburg company Rigel (Russian: Ригель) that were certified for use in submarines. Investigators are checking whether the safety testing of those batteries was sufficient. The other hypotheses include unexpected loads on the batteries caused by a short circuit somewhere on the submarine, or sabotage

[Oldgreybeard]

Understood, did not know aquind changed names (what else I wonder)

So, we already have interconnects, we already supply europe, on a 2 way (as designed basis) ...we are not europe "partners" anymore, ..so does this mean we are neing phased out of the interconnection set up or not (be it by our govt or the eu)

There will always be transmission costs, but again already set up because interconnects already exist, so bearing in mind the giddy price for sea-bed work, why not go the shorter route? are National grids transmission costs to be balked at pricewise?

The first interconnector between the UK and France predated the UK joining the EEC by a decade, it was installed across the Channel in 1961, so I doubt that the UKs current status makes any real difference. There are also four interconnectors between Denmark and Norway, and Norway's also not in the EU.