The UK and Denmark are now sharing clean energy: Viking Link interconnector is live

The world’s longest onshore and subsea interconnector has officially 'switched on' and is now enabling the sharing of clean electricity between the UK and Danish power grids.

Viking Link is our newest electricity interconnector, stretching a record-breaking 765km (475 miles) from Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire to Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark.?

With a capacity of 1.4GW, Viking Link could enable the sharing of enough green electricity to power up to 2.5 million UK homes* and will provide access to a broader energy mix for both Denmark and the UK.

“This record-breaking new link is a fantastic example of engineering and collaboration with our partner countries. As we deploy more wind power to meet our climate and energy security targets, connections to our neighbouring countries will play a vital role in increasing security of supply and reducing prices for consumers.” – Katie Jackson, President of National Grid Ventures

A joint venture between?National Grid and Energinet, Viking Link will initially operate at a reduced capacity of 800MW due to system constraints put in place by the Danish System Operator. We continue to have a strong partnership with Energinet and will be working together to bring the asset up to full capacity as soon as possible.

What are interconnectors?

Interconnectors are high-voltage cables that are used to connect the?electricity systems of neighbouring countries, enabling the fast, flexible sharing of energy.

They allow us to trade?excess power – such as renewable energy created by the sun, wind and?water – between different countries. This makes them the perfect tool for managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.

Interconnectors bring huge benefits, including?cheaper, more secure energy and lower carbon emissions. Between 2020 and 2030, we expect that our interconnectors will have helped the UK to avoid around 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions and, by 2030, 90% of the energy imported through the company’s interconnectors will be from zero carbon energy sources.

Viking Link is National Grid’s sixth interconnector; our five existing cables join the UK with France (IFA and IFA2), The Netherlands (BritNed), Belgium (Nemo Link) and Norway (North Sea Link).

> Read more about interconnectors

Benefits of the Viking Link interconnector

• Saving carbon emissions: In its first year, Viking Link is expected to save more than 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions – this is equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road.
• Saving money: The link will bring huge benefits for UK consumers, with savings of?more than ￡500 million?in the first 10 years, by importing cheaper energy.
• Helping to meet net zero: Denmark has one of the highest proportions of wind generation in the world, so it's the perfect partner to help the UK meet its 2050 net zero emissions targets.
• Increasing energy security: By connecting the UK to broader and more diverse sources of energy, interconnectors play a vital role in making the electricity system more secure.

The Viking Link project

Construction of Viking Link began in 2019; it's taken?five years and four million working hours?to complete.

The project involved the UK and Denmark working together on the construction of converter sites and installation of onshore and offshore cable in each country.

The UK land cable was made up of 118 pieces,?stretching for 67km?between Bicker Fen and Sutton-on-Sea on the Lincolnshire coast.

Who was involved in the project?

The high voltage direct current (HVDC) land cable was manufactured by Prysmian Group and installed by Balfour Beatty Power. The Danish land section was manufactured by NKT and installed by Monck.

The HVDC offshore cable was manufactured and laid by Prysmian Group. The cable was laid on the seabed using a custom-made vessel named The Leonardo Da Vinci, and was then buried using Asso trenchers.

Converter stations at either end of the cable convert the power to the correct frequency before it’s sent through the transmission networks in both the UK and Denmark. The UK converter station was built by principal contractor Siemens Energy and the Danish converter station was built by Energinet.

Viking Link in numbers

• 765km (475 miles): the total length of Viking Link, making it the world’s longest interconnector.
• Up to 2.5 million: the number of UK homes Viking Link could power with shared green electricity.*
• Over ￡500 million: the amount that Viking Link will save UK consumers in its first 10 years by importing cheaper energy.
• 600,000 tonnes: the amount of carbon emissions Viking Link is expected to save in its first year – equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road.
• 4 million: the number of working hours?it took to complete construction, over a period of 5 years.

Find out more about Viking Link

Watch the video:

*Based on National Grid Ventures internal forecasts and typical UK household consumption figures from Ofgem.