NorthConnect
NorthConnect | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Norway Scotland |
From | Samnanger, Norway |
Passes through | North Sea |
To | Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (preliminary) |
Ownership information | |
Owner | NorthConnect |
Partners | Agder Energi, Norway E-CO, Norway Lyse Energi, Norway Vattenfall, Sweden |
Operator | NorthConnect |
Construction information | |
Construction started | 2019 |
Expected | 2022 |
Construction cost | £1.3 billion[1] |
Technical information | |
Type | submarine cable |
Type of current | HVDC |
Total length | 650 km (400 mi) |
Power rating | 1,400 MW[2] |
The NorthConnect (also known as Scotland–Norway interconnector) is a proposed 650 km (400-mile) 1,400 MW HVDC interconnector over the floor of the North Sea.
Current status
The future of the project is unclear. In March 2020, the Norwegian Government placed the NorthConnect project on hold pending studies on the new UK (north of England) and German interconnectors,[3][4] and the Government remained unconvinced in 2022.[5]
Interconnection
If built, it would be the first HVDC route to connect Scotland's electricity network directly to that of mainland Europe (though there are existing connections from England to mainland Europe), whereas Norway already has interconnectors to Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.[6]
Project partners
The £1.75 billion project is being promoted by NorthConnect, a Norwegian company specially set up by five electricity companies (Agder Energi, E-CO, Lyse, SSE plc and Vattenfall) to advance the scheme. It is hoped that the connector will assist the growth of the Norwegian and Scottish renewable energy industries.[7]
Route
If built, the Scottish landfall is will be at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, where the connector will join the National Grid. The Norwegian landfall will be Simalden at the head of the Hardangerfjord in Norway, at the Sima Kraftwerk hydroelectric plant.[8]
Specification
The HVDC cable will be approximately 665 km (413 miles) long, and have a capacity of 1,400 MW.[8] It is expected to cost €1.7 billion.[9]
Project history
On 5 March 2013, it was announced that SSE has left the project.[10] The Norwegian government ruled that only Statnett could own export cables.[11] In 2016, Norway debates rules for export cables.[12][13]
In June 2016, Ofgem approved NorthConnect. Other approvals were still needed.[14]
The European Union put NorthConnect on the "Projects of Common Interest" list and supported its development with €10 million.[1][15][16]
A 2019 analysis by the Norwegian water department indicates that the connection would be economically viable despite an increase of less than half a eurocent per kWh for Norwegian consumers.[17][18]
By 2019, the project had received all the most important marine and planning consents in the UK. Following detailed design work, it was hoped that the link will be constructed between 2019 and 2022.[19] The consortium hoped to make a final investment decision in 2020.[9]
On 25 March 2020, NorthConnect received a letter from the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, informing them that NorthConnect's license applications would not be processed at the present time.[20]
At the end of 2021, the Norwegian finance minister stated that there was no intention to process the application. [21]
See also
- Cross-Skagerrak (Norway-Denmark)
- HVDC Moyle (Scotland-Northern Ireland)
- NorNed (Norway-Netherlands)
- NORD.LINK (proposed Norway-Germany)
- NorGer (proposed Norway-Germany)
References
- ^ a b "UK-Norway link bags EU grant". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "NorthConnect Interconnector". 4C. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Norway puts subsea power link to Scotland on hold". 30 March 2020.
- ^ Viseth, Ellen Synnøve (13 October 2021). "Støre-regjeringen: Vil ikke godkjenne noen nye utenlandskabler" [The Støre government: Will not approve any new foreign cables]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021.
- ^ "NorthConnect svarer på Vedums nei" [NorthConnect responds to Vedum's no]. NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). 29 December 2021.
- ^ Fyall, Jenny (29 September 2011). "Cable to Norway could be subsea 'supergrid'". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- ^ Jones, Peter (29 September 2011). "Norway electricity sharing 'by 2020'". The Times Scotland. London. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- ^ a b "What is NorthConnect?". North Connect. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ a b "NorthConnect FAQ". Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "UK power firm SSE pulls out of UK-Norway cable project". Reuters. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ "Kabelmonopol ikke fjernet - kabelselskap frykter å bli nedprioritert" [Cable monopoly not removed - cable companies fear being downgraded]. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Konkurransetilsynet advarer mot økte kraftpriser - vil at kun Statnett skal få bygge kabler til utlandet" [The Norwegian Competition Authority warns against increased power prices - wants only Statnett to be allowed to build cables abroad]. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Politisk flertall for private utenlandskabler" [Political majority for private foreign cables]. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ "Ofgem approves Scotland-Norway power cable". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "EU funding boost for Scotland-Norway power cable". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "EU cash boost for electricity "superhighway"". Press and Journal. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Venstre: Kommuner vil tape milliarder på kabel-nei" [Left: Municipalities will lose billions on cable - no]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. 8 March 2020.
- ^ Viseth, Ellen Synnøve (10 December 2019). "NVE: Ny skottlandskabel er lønnsom for Norge, men strøm og nettleie kan bli dyrere" [NVE: New Scottish cable is profitable for Norway, but electricity and network rental may be more expensive]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad.
- ^ "How". NorthConnect. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "NorthConnect takes note of the OED's decision". northconnect.co.uk. NorthConnect. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Vedum gravlegger NorthConnect for godt" [Vedum is burying NorthConnect for good]. e24.no. e24.no. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
External links
- Official website of NorthConnect
- CS1 Norwegian-language sources (no)
- CS1 Norwegian Bokmål-language sources (nb)
- Use dmy dates from April 2022
- Electrical interconnectors to and from Great Britain
- Electrical interconnectors to and from the Nordic grid
- 2020 in Europe
- HVDC transmission lines
- Kristiansand
- Electrical interconnectors in the North Sea
- Proposed electric power transmission systems
- Norway–Scotland relations
- Proposed electric power infrastructure in Norway
- Proposed electric power infrastructure in Scotland