UK signs deal for world’s largest multi-use power line

The UK has signed a deal with the Netherlands for the world’s largest multi-use power line.

The mega-power line will connect the Netherlands and Britain’s electricity grids via sub-sea cables, which will connect to a Dutch offshore wind farm.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced the plans as the first step towards an integrated North Sea grid. National Grid Ventures and Dutch public-owned energy company TenneT are developing the power line.

The multi-purpose interconnector, also called LionLink, will be able to transmit 1.8 gigawatts of electricity – enough to power roughly 1.6 million homes, more than the number of homes in Manchester and Birmingham combined.

The cross-border electricity line will be only the second of its kind in the world – the first was built by Germany and Denmark.

The government claimed LionLink will be able to carry over four times the amount of electricity than the Germany-Denmark cable – 1.8 gigawatts compared with 0.4 gigawatts – which makes it “the largest of its kind in terms of capacity anywhere in the world”.

The UK is currently heavily reliant on imported gas, which makes it vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions, so the new line will diversify the UK’s energy sources and improve the country’s energy resilience.

In the event of a power outage LionLink can import electricity from the Netherlands to keep households powered.

LionLink will further the government’s net-zero strategy and help it meet its net-zero emissions target.

The works will create 40,000 jobs in Britain, as well as bring in around £20bn per year of investment to benefit the UK’s coastal regions, especially in the North Sea energy sector.

Energy secretary Grant Shapps said: “I’m proud to have the best of UK energy firms and organisations with me, flying the flag for British business and demonstrating our world-leading expertise in cleaner, cheaper and secure renewable technologies – helping deliver on one of our five priorities to grow the economy.

“Today’s historic deal with the Netherlands connects our two countries together through this exciting feat of innovation and engineering – the largest of its kind in the world.”

The Netherlands’ climate and energy minister Rob Jetten said: “With the North Sea becoming the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe, we are ready to expand the interconnection between the two countries.”

Chief executive of trade association Energy UK Emma Pinchbeck said: “Tapping the potential of the North Sea to generate and deliver clean energy is key to ensuring that we reach net zero in the quickest and cheapest way possible.”