The UK took a big step towards getting almost all its imported electricity from zero-carbon sources by the end of the decade, as work began on the world’s longest power interconnector linking Britain and Denmark.

Construction has started on the £1.8bn ($2.26m) Viking Link, a 765km, 1.4GW high-voltage direct-current line which will run under the North Sea between eastern England and Revsing in southern Jutland, Denmark, said the UK’s network operator National Grid.

A National Grid spokesperson told Recharge that with Viking and other new links online, by 2030 some 90% of the electricity imported via its interconnectors will be from zero-carbon sources.

Viking Link, a joint venture between National Grid and Danish electricity system operator Energinet is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023, with the first stage of the works, an access road for the Bicker Fen converter station site in Lincolnshire at the UK end, now underway.

The connection will allow the UK to trade with wider European and Nordic electricity markets, and bring additional sources of renewable energy to Britain from Denmark and its neighbouring countries.

The UK government finally gave formal approval for the delayed Viking Link in January 2019. The interconnector project, which was approved by the Danish government in October 2017, had been held up on the UK side by local opponents to the proposed route in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire.

Closer despite Brexit

The project is part of a fast-growing connectivity between the UK and mainland Europe that ensures the power systems of Britain and the EU will be physically more united than ever, even as Brexit pulls them further apart in other areas of the economy.

Interconnectors already in operation are the 2GW IFA between the UK and France;the 1GW BritNed link from the UK to the Netherlands; and the 1GW Nemo line between the UK and Belgium.

In addition to the Viking Link, the 1GW IFA2 between the UK and France is also under construction, with completion due by the end of this year. The 1.4GW North Sea Link between the UK and Norway is expected to be finished at the end of 2021.

Wind

Clean power to dominate UK imports as work starts on world's longest interconnector