National Grid has this morning confirmed that the second electricity interconnector linking the UK and France is now able to flow low carbon electricity between the two countries at full capacity. Wholesale power traders started buying capacity to transport power across the 149-mile subsea power cable, which stretches along the sea floor between Fareham, Hampshire in the UK and near Caen, Normandy in France, yesterday. Dubbed IFA2, the cable is the result of a joint venture between French Transmission System Operator RTE and National Grid. As with the rest of the growing fleet of UK interconnectors the cable is designed to expediate trade in power between different countries, making it easier for grid operators to balance grids across northern Europe that are increasingly reliant on intermittent renewable power generation. With a capacity of 1,000MW, the new high voltage direct current (HVDC) power cable can provide enough energy to power 1 million British homes and is expected to meet 1.2 per cent of Britain’s electricity demand. National Grid said that importing lower carbon electricity from France should allow the project to prevent 1.2 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – equivalent to planting 50 million trees – in its first full year of operation.
Business Green 22nd Jan 2021 read more »
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