Green light for interconnector between UK and Belgium

UK energy regulator Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) has given a final green light for the Nemo Link project, the construction of a high-voltage cable between the United Kingdom and Belgium.

The Nemo Link interconnector consists of subsea and underground cables connected to a converter station and an electricity substation in each country, which will allow electricity to flow in either direction between the two countries.

The Interconnector pipeline provides a key strategic energy link between the UK and Belgium. It will provide a 130km-long, 1,000MW high voltage direct current (HVDC) link between Richborough in Kent with Zeebrugge on the Belgian coast, passing through UK, French and Belgian waters. The Nemo Link project has a price tag of about €630 million, and should be completed by 2019.

"All offshore permits are already in order," says Barbara Verhaegen, spokeswoman for the Belgian power manager Elia. "Next year Elia and its British counterpart National Grid should come to an agreement on investment. We also still need a building permit and an exact location for the Belgian site. So, 2019 seems like a realistic target date for the operation. "

Which direction the current flows will mainly depend on the demand of the day. "But it is important that Belgium connects its network with the UK’s, especially for the nuclear phase-out."