‘Viking Link’ Connects UK and Denmark Power Grid for the First Time

An electricity link between the UK and Denmark, known as the Viking Link, has been connected for the first time, says the National Grid. This link is 475 miles in length and joins Becker Fen in Lincolnshire with Jutland in Denmark.

Once completed, it will allow both countries to benefit from shared green energy to power up to 1.4 million homes. Construction began in 2019 and is projected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Mike Elmer, Viking Link Project Director for the National Grid, commented on the development, “we’ve already completed the initial groundwork with archaeological and ecological surveys, as well as water works studies, however this is a key construction milestone for the project.  Viking Link will play a vital role in helping to decarbonise the UK’s power supply on the journey to a net zero carbon energy system. It will enable access to a cleaner, greener supply of electricity, which will make energy more secure and affordable for consumers.”

Once completed, the link will be the worlds longest land and subsea interconnector, with 40 miles of underground cable running under Lincolnshire.

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Rebecca Sedler, Managing Director for Interconnectors commented, “this is a fantastic moment for the UK and Denmark, and a key milestone for the world record project as we join the electricity networks of our two countries for the first time.”

She goes on to add, “Interconnectors bring huge benefits to the UK, acting as clean energy super-highways, allowing us to move surplus green energy from where it is generated to where it is needed the most. That means that we can import cheaper and cleaner energy from our neighbours when we need it, and vice versa.” As one of the first and largest interconnecting green energy links between two nations, the success of the Viking Link could be crucial in allowing the method to be replicated elsewhere.

The UK and Denmark’s long cultural and historical ties, as well as their accessible locations from the North Sea, have allowed this project to come to fruition. As both are looking into more ways to become carbon neutral, through onshore and offshore wind, solar and other methods, the Viking Link could be the start of a long partnership of working together to reach net zero.

Sources
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-66235081
https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/07/18/world-record-power-cable-connects-uk-and-denmark/