Norway-UK interconnector moves closer to reality

Norway’s Statnett and the UK’s National Grid have signed a deal to explore the possibility of building a high-voltage electricity interconnector that would link the two countries’ energy markets while tying into the slate of offshore wind farms expected to come on line in the North Sea over the next decade.

The cable, which would be owned jointly by the two companies, could hold immense benefits for both Norway and the UK. It would allow Norway to access the immense amount of offshore wind that will be generated in UK waters by 2020, while allowing the UK to access Norway’s huge hydroelectric reserves.

“Greater interconnection with Europe will be an important tool to help us balance the system with large quantities of variable wind generation in the UK,” says Nick Winser, National Grid’s executive director for transmission.

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Norway-UK interconnector moves closer to reality