UK’s Ofgem grants licenses for electricity links to three EU countries

UK energy market regulator Ofgem has granted electricity interconnector licenses for three energy links that will connect the UK with three countries in the European Union.

Electricity interconnector licenses have been awarded to Cronos Energy for an electricity interconnector to Belgium, to Tarchon Energy for an interconnector to Germany, and to Aminth Energy for an interconnector to Denmark.

The Cronos Interconnector will connect the Kemsley 400 kV substation in Kent and Zeebrugge in Belgium, the Tarchon Interconnector will link East Anglia Coastal Connection Node and Niederlangen in Lower Saxony in Germany, while the Aminth Interconnector will connect the Mablethorpe 400 kV substation near Beesby and the Danish North Sea Energy Island.

All three interconnections will have a 1.4 GW capacity and are planned to reach commercial operations in late 2026.

The licenses, awarded on 3 February, authorize the parties to operate the electricity interconnectors and are not authorizations to construct the projects as this is subject to separate planning processes including obtaining any consents or permits required from relevant authorities.

At the end of 2022, Ofgem approved the strategic electricity transmission reinforcements required to deliver the UK Government’s 50 GW offshore wind by 2030 target, set out as part of the regulator’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework.

These include two 2 GW subsea HVDC links from Peterhead to England, both of which will be taken forward as joint ventures with National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), a 2 GW subsea HVDC link from Spittal in Caithness, connecting to Peterhead, as well as a 1.8 GW subsea HVDC link from Arnish on the Western Isles to the Beauly area near Inverness.