ElecLink is a 1000 MW

HVDC A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system (also called a power superhighway or an electrical superhighway) uses direct current (DC) for electric power transmission, in contrast with the more common alternating curre ...

electrical

interconnector An interconnector (also known as a DC tie in the USA) is a structure which enables high voltage DC electricity to flow between electrical grids. An electrical interconnector allows electricity to flow between separate AC networks, or to link sy ...

between the UK and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, passing through the Channel Tunnel. ElecLink commenced operations on 25 May 2022 following several delays due to safety concerns.

Route

The DC cable runs via the Channel Tunnel between converter stations at

Peuplingues Peuplingues (; vls, Peuplingen, lang) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also co ...

in France and Folkestone in the UK, with an additional of underground AC cable on the English side, and on the French side, to link the converter stations to the existing transmission networks.

Ownership

It is owned by a subsidiary of

Getlink Getlink, formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a European public company based in Paris that manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, operates the Eurotunnel Shuttle train service, and earns revenue ...

, which owns the tunnel itself. ElecLink is the first UK interconnector to be entirely funded by private finance, without being underwritten by electricity consumers.

Construction

The station was designed and installed primarily by Siemens AG and Siemens FIT (Field installation Team) with the help of Balfour Beatty, Galaghers, Mclaughlin & Harvey and many more. The contract for manufacturing the HVDC cables awarded to Prysmian. A specialist, 500 m long, battery-powered works train was manufactured for the project to allow the HVDC cable to be installed in 2021 and tested.

Project history

Work commenced on the project in 2017, The foundation stone of the Folkestone converter station was laid in February 2017, by

Jesse Norman Alexander Jesse Norman (born 23 June 1962) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Minister of State for Decarbonisation and Technology since October 2022. He previously served as Minister of State for the Americas and the Overs ...

MP, Minister for Industry and Energy. In 2019, the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), which oversees the safety of the Channel Tunnel, suspended part of the project's consent due to concerns about safety of the HVDC cables within the tunnels. This decision prevented the cables from being installed. The IGC was expected to make a final decision on whether the cables can be installed in April 2020, based on a recommendation from the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, however this approval was again delayed due to further safety concerns and the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In December 2020, the IGC announced its approval of the project, with the cable expected to be installed by summer 2021 and commercial operation expected to start in mid-2022. In February 2022, the IGC and national safety authorities announced their approval of ElecLink, which allowed final testing of the interconnector to commence, with entry into service still planned for mid-2022. ElecLink commenced operations on 25 May 2022.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

ElecLink

Project status update, Dec 2019 (pdf)
Electrical interconnectors to and from Great Britain Electrical interconnectors to and from the Synchronous Grid of Continental Europe Proposed electric power transmission systems Proposed electric power infrastructure in England Proposed electric power infrastructure in France HVDC transmission lines France–United Kingdom relations