UK’s National Grid has announced the completion of the cable works on the 1.4GW Viking Link interconnector project to form a continuous high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity link between Britain and Denmark.
Under a contract worth €700m, Prysmian Group was engaged for the design, manufacturing, and installation of the first-ever submarine cable connection between the UK and Denmark.
The Italian company has installed the final section of the subsea cable in the North Sea by utilising its Leonardo da Vinci cable laying vessel.
The 765km long HVDC electricity link between the British and Danish transmission systems connects the Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire, England to the Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark.
Viking Link, which involves an investment of €2bn, is a joint venture (JV) between National Grid and Energinet, a Danish system operator.
According to National Grid, the Viking Link interconnector project will be the world’s longest land and subsea interconnector.
The project will allow the transmission of clean energy to 1.4 million UK households, once it is completed by the end of 2023.
National Grid interconnectors managing director Rebecca Sedler said: “This is a fantastic moment for the UK and Denmark, and a key milestone for the world record project as we join the electricity networks of our two countries for the first time.
“After years of planning and construction work, today’s announcement is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and our partners on both sides of the connection.”
National Grid and Energinet JV awarded the contract to Prysmian Group in 2019.
The Viking Link interconnector project involved the construction of converter sites and the laying of onshore and offshore cables in each of the countries. The installed cables were subsequently connected to the substations.
Construction on the transmission project began in 2019 and to date, over three million working hours were consumed on planning and construction. Manufactured and installed by Prysmian and NKT, the HVDC cable comprises copper, steel, paper, and plastic materials, and has been buried on the seabed.
