Denmark and U.K. Looking to Connect Power Grids

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- The U.K. and Denmark are to investigate connecting their electricity grids in order to harness and share power from traditional and renewable energy sources.

The country's grid operator, National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) (London), announced that it is working with Danish grid operator, Energinet.dk (Frederica, Denmark), on a feasibility study for the laying of a subsea cable, the first electricity power connection between the two countries.

Work will start immediately on the comprehensive study which will cover different technical solutions, possible project benefits, potential routes and landing points, the capacity of the cable and potential commissioning timetable. It will also look into the potential of how the new cable will allow each country to export and import renewable power. The interconnector will form part of a future North Sea 'supergrid' to connect offshore wind power.

"This study is an important first step in looking at developing a link between Denmark and U.K.," said Terry McCormick, head of U.K. and European Business Development, National Grid. "More interconnection with Europe supports the integration of renewable energy and gives us more options to balance our network in U.K.. It could also meet European objectives of bringing more competition to the market."

Torben Glar Nielsen, Executive Vice President, Electricity Division, Energinet.dk. added: "Both Great Britain and Denmark are planning for integration in the future of very high amounts of wind power. Therefore, the study will also look at how the new cable would help both countries export and import renewable power, as well as connecting into a future North Sea 'super grid' to connect offshore wind power".

The U.K. is at the centre of a number of major interconnector projects. Towards the end of 2011, construction on the €600 million ($764 million) interconnector cable that will connect the electricity grids of Ireland and the U.K. kicked off. The East-West Interconnector project, which is being overseen by Ireland's state-controlled grid operator EirGrid (Dublin), is a 500-megawatt (MW) link that will be capable of transporting enough energy to power 300,000 homes when it is completed at the end of 2012. For additional information see October 28, 2011, article - Ireland-U.K. Interconnector Project Begins.

In April, 2011, 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, near Rotterdam, to the Isle of Grain in Kent, England. The €600 million project ($764 million) is a joint venture between Dutch state-owned transmission grid company TenneT TSO BV (Arnhem, Netherlands) and the U.K.'s National Grid. For additional information see April 6, 2011, article - U.K., Netherlands Connect Power Grids.

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