TenneT and National Grid have begun collaborating on a proposed first-of-a-kind Dutch-Anglo electricity link.
Speaking at the North Sea Summit in Ostend, Belgium, Dutch and British Ministers welcomed plans for a new electricity link to connect offshore wind between the UK and the Netherlands.
LionLink, which was included as a key project in today’s North Sea Energy Declaration, could connect Dutch wind farms to the electricity grids of both countries via a subsea high voltage electricity cable, called a multi-purpose or hybrid interconnector.
The development would be the first of its kind for the UK and the Netherlands, and the first step towards an integrated electricity grid in the North Sea.
Dutch Energy Minister, Rob Jetten and UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps expressed their support for the LionLink project, recognising it as an important milestone in realising the full potential of the North Sea as Europe’s green energy powerhouse.
The UK and EU have a combined target for 110GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, which will make a vital a major contribution to both energy security and climate targets across the region.
LionLink will benefit from the strong and established long-term partnership between the Netherlands and the UK and supports the broader objective of North Sea countries to secure sustainable long term energy security for Europe and the UK by connecting renewables via interconnection.
The Dutch and British energy markets were first connected in 2011 via the BritNed point-to-point interconnector, which has played an important role in supporting energy security this winter.
“It is our conviction that offshore hubs configured in a meshed DC grid must form the backbone of the North Sea powerhouse,” said chief executive of TenneT Manon van Beek.
“This is a view that is increasingly shared, and for us, it is more than a vision of the future. In fact, we are already doing it by kicking off this ground-breaking LionLink project right now. It is a first step and a great opportunity to learn as the offshore grid takes shape.”
President National Grid Ventures Ben Wilson added: “We now need the right political, legal and regulatory framework to make it happen and establish a mutually beneficial North Sea grid to deliver a cleaner, fairer, more secure and more affordable energy future for British and European consumers.”