Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader promoting a sustainable energy future for all, has announced that it has supplied the energy interconnector, North Sea Link, to Statnett, the national electricity grid operator in Norway, and National Grid, a company that owns and operates the gas – and electricity infrastructure in the United Kingdom and the Northeastern United States.
The connection, the world’s longest submarine electricity interconnector, is powered by HVDC Light, Hitachi Energy’s high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology, which connects the Norwegian and UK power grids separated by the sea.
The North Sea Link has the capacity to carry 1,400 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy over a 720 kilometer HVDC submarine cable, enough electricity to power 1.4 million British homes. *1 Allow Norway to import wind power from the UK and the UK to import hydro power from Norway. This efficient power distribution will help increase grid resilience in both countries, reduce fossil fuel generation in the UK and avoid 23 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030.
“North Sea Link is a cornerstone of Europe’s carbon neutral energy future, connecting national electricity grids and enabling the flow of electricity across borders and seas,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “The link will increase the reliability and security of energy supplies in both countries, accelerate progress towards their sustainability goals and facilitate energy trade and economic growth.”
“This is an exciting day for National Grid and an important step in our quest to diversify and decarbonise the UK’s electricity supply. North Sea Link is a truly remarkable engineering feat,” said Nicola Medalova, CEO of National Grid Interconnectors. “North Sea Link is a great example of two countries working together to maximize their renewable energy resources for mutual benefit.”
Hitachi Energy designed, developed, supplied and commissioned the interconnector technology: two HVDC power converter stations, one in Blyth, north-east England, and the other in Kvilldal, Norway. The stations convert AC from the grid into DC for efficient transmission over the submarine cable, then convert it back to AC for use in the receiving grid.