The UK and the Netherlands are set to build the world's largest multi-use electricity power line under the North Sea, which will provide enough clean power for 1.8 million homes – more than the combined populations of Birmingham and Manchester. The LionLink project will connect the two countries to offshore wind farms, and provide affordable and secure energy to the UK. The new project will cut household bills and reduce the UK's reliance on foreign gas supplies, while also driving Putin's Russia out of the energy market.
The multipurpose electricity line is the second of its kind in the world, but it will have more than four times the capacity of its predecessor. It will connect the UK and the Netherlands to each other and to offshore wind farms at the heart of the North Sea. This innovation will improve energy security and create better-paid jobs across the UK.
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The UK government announced this ground-breaking project at the North Sea Summit in Belgium, where nine countries met to agree on future offshore wind farm projects. The Energy Security Secretary, Grant Shapps, led a British business delegation to the summit and signed a historic agreement with Denmark to boost trade in cleaner and cheaper energy.
The LionLink project is expected to be operational by the early 2030s and will be developed by National Grid Ventures and TenneT. The new power line will carry 1.8 GW of electricity, compared to Germany and Denmark's Kassø-Frøslev, which carries 0.4 GW. This will increase the UK's interconnector capacity by up to a fifth, providing more clean and affordable power to UK homes and businesses.
Ben Wilson, President National Grid Ventures, believes that connecting wind farms to multiple markets simultaneously is a game changer for energy infrastructure and brings us one step closer to realizing the enormous green energy potential of the North Sea.
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“It is our conviction that offshore hubs configured in a meshed DC grid must form the backbone of the North Sea powerhouse” said Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT. “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.”
The increased interconnectivity provided by LionLink will be good for both the UK's coastal communities and the environment by reducing the need for further onshore construction and visible infrastructure, as well as lessening the impact on the North Sea's wildlife.
British innovation, knowledge, and skills within the North Sea energy sector is expected to bring £20 billion a year of investment to the UK's coastal regions and create 40,000 skilled green jobs for Britain.
The Energy Security Secretary believes that this project, together with the strong ties that the UK has with northern European neighbors, is bolstering our energy security and sending a strong signal to Putin's Russia that their dominance over global power markets is over.
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“Today's historic deal with the Netherlands connects our two countries together through this exciting feat of innovation and engineering – the largest of its kind in the world which will provide enough electricity for more homes than in Manchester and Birmingham combined” said UK Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps. “Together with the best of UK energy firms and organizations, we are demonstrating our world-leading expertise in cleaner, cheaper, and secure renewable technologies – helping deliver on one of our five priorities to grow the economy.”
The LionLink project is a significant step forward for the UK's energy sector, and it is hoped that it will inspire further collaboration between countries in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable technologies.
