North Sea Link begins regular operations

The 1,400 MW North Sea Link (NSL) interconnector that links the UK and Norway has paid off its carbon cost of construction after operating for six months, said the UK National Grid, which operates the project together with the Norwegian Statnett.

This first power interconnector between Norway and the UK recently started regular operations after one year of trial operation.

During the trial year, 4,6 TWh was exported from Norway to the UK, while imports from the UK to Norway totaled 1,1 TWh so far.  

According to Statnett, the interconnector mostly exported electricity from Norway to the UK for the first months, but since May the flow direction changed, with more imports to Norway.

Over the last three months, export and import have been at equal levels.

North Sea Link runs between the Suldal municipality in Norway and the Newcastle area in England.

The 720-kilometer interconnector was completed in early June 2021 and on 18 June transmission between Norway and the UK was tested for the first time.

The €1.6 billion project was commisioned on 1 October 2021.

Hitachi Energy, which designed, engineered, supplied and commissioned the enabling technology for the interconnector, handed over the project to Statnett and the UK National Grid last week.

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