The UK's National Grid is investing up to £400 million (around €478 million) in the first cross-border electricity link between the UK and France, extending the operation of the interconnector commissioned in 1986 until at least 2050.
The investment, announced as the Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) project marks 40 years of operation, is part of National Grid’s wider plans to invest at least £70 billion across the group until March 2031.
IFA, jointly owned by the National Grid and French transmission system operator (TSO) Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE), was the first modern electricity interconnector linking Great Britain with continental Europe and the second subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable link in the world when it began operating in 1986.
With its 2 GW, the interconnector is still Great Britain’s largest subsea connection by capacity and can carry enough electricity to power approximately three million British homes annually.
Since 1986, net imports have totalled an estimated 409TWh, said to be considerably more than a full year of Britain's electricity demand. Although electricity has historically flowed mainly to Great Britain, IFA also supports flows in the opposite direction when market conditions dictate.
By extending IFA’s operation to 2050, the investment will support the continued two-way flow of electricity between the two countries, strengthening energy security and delivering value for consumers on both sides.
According to the National Grid, the program will include upgrades to essential technical equipment, buildings and facilities at the interconnector site.
"For 40 years, our IFA interconnector has been sharing secure and affordable electricity between Great Britain and France. That has delivered benefits for UK consumers and since 2020, IFA has made payments to UK consumers of nearly £300 million," said Rebecca Sedler, President of NGV UK, National Grid.
"I’m proud to announce this new investment which will extend the operation of IFA to meet the next phase of electricity demand, from AI to electric vehicles. Our ability to connect both nations will benefit consumers and the energy systems on both sides of the channel."
The IFA electrical interconnector is approximately 70 kilometers long, with 45 kilometers being subsea. Besides it, there are two other interconnectors in service that are connecting the two countries, including the 1 GW IFA2, commissioned in January 2021, and the 1 GW ElecLink, commissioned in May 2022.
In May 2024, the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) announced it was investigating the opportunity for a new electricity interconnection to the UK. In February 2025, CRE and Great Britain’s independent energy regulator Ofgem agreed to continue exploring further electricity interconnection development opportunities of around 1 GW capacity between the two countries.