Developer of UK-France interconnector agrees collaboration with Portsmouth City Council

AQUIND Ltd, the company behind the planned namesake 2 GW electricity interconnector between the UK and France, has established a collaboration with the Portsmouth City Council for the delivery of the project.

AQUIND and Portsmouth City Council entered into a works co-operation agreement on 5 September which includes arrangements for the unlikely event that the AQUIND Interconnector and a project in the North Portsea Island Coastal Defence Scheme (NPICDS) should overlap with one another.

Namely, the agreement documents the process to be undertaken to ensure cooperation in relation to the delivery of the interconnector and Phase 4B and Phase 5 of the NPICDS between Milton Common and Kendall’s Wharf, Eastern Road.

It also covers the restoration of land following works to deliver the AQUIND Interconnector, including the provision of planting and/or replacement planting by AQUIND in overlapping areas that form part of the Coastal Defence Works.

The decision on whether to grant development consent for the AQUIND Interconnector is currently awaited from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

“The Secretary of State (DESNZ) enquired in March whether an agreement had been reached regarding the North Portsea Island Coastal Defence Scheme,” said Richard Glasspool, Director of AQUIND Ltd.

“Aquind Limited is pleased to confirm that we have now signed the Works Co-operation Agreement with Portsmouth City Council in relation to delivery of NPICDS and the AQUIND Interconnector. As always, AQUIND is ready for constructive engagement with Portsmouth City Council and the other stakeholders across the project.”

AQUIND Interconnector is a privately financed £1.35 billion, subsea and underground HVDC electric cable between Normandy in France and Lovedean Substation in Hampshire, England.

It will be approximately 238 kilometers long. With a 2 GW capacity, the link will be able to transmit up to 17 TWh per year, equivalent to 5% of Great Britain’s and 3% of France’s total annual electricity consumption.