U.K., Netherlands Connect Power Grids

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The dream of a single European electricity grid took a significant step forward this week as the Dutch and U.K. grids were connected by the BritNed undersea power transmission cable. The 1,000-MW, 260-kilometre, high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cable runs from Maasvlakte, which is near Rotterdam, to the Isle of Grain in Kent, England. The cable is capable of transmitting power in both directions, depending on factors such as supply and demand patterns, and the difference in electricity prices in both markets.

The 600 million-euro project ($850 million) is a joint venture between Dutch state-owned transmission grid company TenneT TSO BV (Arnhem, Netherlands) and U.K. electricity and gas company National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) (London). In December 2009, the European Investment Bank (EIB) contributed half of the project cost. For additional information, see December 21, 2009, article - European Investment Bank to Contribute 300 Million Euros for BritNed Interconnector Project.

"This is good news for our energy security, for U.K. renewables and for consumers," said Chris Huhne, U.K. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. "It plugs the U.K. directly into a wider European electricity market, allowing us to import our peak needs cheaply, rather than hold an expensive plant in readiness. Renewables win, as it means surplus wind power can be easily shared. Consumers win, as a single European market puts pressure on prices. And more new cables are planned, so by 2020 we could have over 10 gigawatts (GW) of additional electricity flowing under the North Sea."

"Our investment in this interconnector means that we are joining a much wider European electricity market," added Nick Winser, the executive director of National Grid. "This ability that we will now have to move power across national borders means we can use the full potential of renewable energy from wind, making it easier to import when wind is not available and export when there is a surplus."

At the end of last year, the European Union (E.U.) committed to spending 1 trillion euros ($1.38 trillion) over the next 10 years to create a single energy network. For related news, see November 23, 2010, article - Europe Outlines 1 Trillion-Euro Energy Plan. A key part of that will be the creation of an offshore "supergrid." Ten European countries have signed up to the offshore supergrid project, which aims to capture and transmit the electricity produced from the 150 GW of offshore wind energy projects planned between now and 2030. At that time, offshore energy will account for an estimated 16% of Europe's total electricity demand. For related news, see December 9, 2010, article - Europe's 'Supergrid' Project Takes Big Step Forward.

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