Three new links will multiply Britain’s electrical ties to Europe

ElecLink, the prospective electricity interconnector between the UK and France via the Channel Tunnel, has received approval from the French Conseil d'Etat, which completes the regulatory steps and paves the way for the start of construction by the end of 2016. This phase will continue for 36 months for the two converter stations and 32 months for the installation of the cable through the tunnel. Commercial service, originally slated for 2016, is now expected to commence in 2019.

Preferred bidders have been announced by joint venture partners STAR Capital Partners and Groupe Eurotunnel as Siemens (electrical) and Balfour Beatty (construction) although final contracts have not yet been signed.

The €500 million-plus investment will be financed by private funds. It will add to the existing interconnection capacity between England and France of 2 GW, which is owned by National Grid and RTE, and generate new local employment, notably in the Calais area, It will provide improved security of supply and regulation of national production in both countries, an issue that will become increasingly important as more new production comes from renewable and intermittent sources.

The first interconnector to be commissioned between the UK and France since 1986, the 75 km 1000 MW ElecLink project is also distinctive in that its cable will pass through the Channel Tunnel, reducing its environmental impact. ElecLink has, as a result, obtained the support of the French and British governments and is recognised as a Project of Common Interest by the European Commission.

The project got under way in 2013 when ElecLink signed UK and French connection agreements for the 1 GW link with TSOs National Grid in the UK and RTE in France. At that time it also submitted requests to national energy regulators CRE (France) and Ofgem (UK) to exempt the company from articles under the EU's third energy package directives and regulations, allowing ElecLink to operate as a merchant interconnector.

In 2015 ElecLink nominated Balfour Beatty/Prysmian as the preferred bidder in the evaluation process for its Lot 2 contract, which consists of engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance of the cable systems. At the same time it nominated Siemens as the preferred bidder in the evaluation process for its Lot 1 contract, for overall system design, build, operation and maintenance of the converter stations at Sellindge (UK) and Coquelles (France).

FAB appoints marine planner

Intertek has been appointed by FAB Link Ltd to provide marine environmental and planning support for the France-Alderney- Britain Project, a proposed sub-marine interconnector between France and Great Britain via the island of Alderney.

The project is being jointly developed by French TSO Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) and FAB Link Ltd, a joint venture of Transmission Investment LLP and Alderney Renewable Energy Ltd.

The project will allow a maximum transmission of 1400 MW to help meet the need for increased capacity of energy trade between the two countries and thus contribute to the energy transition in Europe. The project is also designed to provide a route to market for marine renewable energy planned to be constructed in the seas around Alderney.

FAB has been recognised as a "Project of Common Interest" by the European Union following support by both the French and UK governments. It has received funding from the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility.

The 1400 MW HVDC link will consist of two pairs of electrical cables, a converter station and connections into the high voltage grids at each end. It will follow a route of nearly 220 km between the electrical substations at Menuel, on the Cotentin peninsula in France, and at Exeter, in Devon, England and is scheduled to commence construction in 2018.

As marine specialists with experience of ten interconnector projects in the UK and internationally, Intertek will be responsible for co-ordinating pre- application consultation, consent applications and consent compliance activities for FAB Link's offshore infrastructure between UK landfall and the southern extent of Alderney waters. This will include delivery of marine licence applications in England and Guernsey for protection of the seabed required during the cable installation process.

UK-Norway news

NorthConnect has applied for a licence to construct an interconnector between Peterhead in Scotland and Simadalen in western Norway. The link is planned to be a 500kV 1400MW HVDC subsea cable, 650 km long, and is scheduled to go into operation in 2022. The developer expects that it will improve security of supply in hydro-based Norway in dry years, and in Great Britain during periods with negative power balance (low wind, low solar, high demand).

The NorthConnect KS consortium comprises AgderEnergi, E.Co, Lyse and Vattenfall. SSE was involved but has since withdrawn from the project.

The cable will be the second between the UK and Norway. NSN, a joint project already under construction by National Grid and Statnett, will be connected to the UK system at Blyth in Northumberland and the Norwegian system at Kvilldal in Rogaland. Contracts have been placed for that project, which will require a longer cable - 750 km - and is also rated at 1400 MW.