National Grid Interconnectors has formally launched Viking Link, a 475 mile cable that will directly link the GB and Danish energy grids for the first time.
The line runs from a converter station at Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire to one in southern Jutland, Denmark. It is National Grid’s sixth interconnector and the UK’s ninth. It commenced initial operations in December 2023, and since then it has Viking Link has transported 1,733 GWh of power between the two countries.
John Pettigrew, Group CEO of National Grid, said: “Over its lifespan, this record-breaking connection will deliver over five billion pounds in efficiencies for UK consumers, allow us to trade hundreds of gigawatts in surplus power, and provide an indispensable tool in guaranteeing the continued reliability of our energy system.”
He added: “Physical connections to other countries are central to the international collaboration which sits at the heart of the energy transition we are undergoing. Our existing fleet, Viking Link and our planned Nautilus and LionLink projects will act as the cornerstone for North Sea nations to make the most of up to 300GW of offshore wind generation, delivering low-cost renewable energy to consumers with the least impact on coastal communities.”
In 2023 National Grid announced joint plans with TenneT for a new 1.8GW interconnector between the UK and The Netherlands, called LionLink, which would also connect to offshore wind generation. LionLink is expected to be operational in the early 2030s.
National Grid is also working on a second new link called Nautilus, which could link the GB grid with the Belgian grid and with offshore wind generation.