Power link paves way for ‘supergrid’

Energy secretary Chris Huhne yesterday launched the first new grid connection to Europe for 25 years, with the pledge that it marked the first step towards a North Sea “supergrid”.

By The Newsroom

Published 13th May 2011, 07:00 BST

The “Britned” interconnector links the UK with the Netherlands, enabling the flow of 1,000 megawatts of electricity between the two countries, which Mr Huhne said would lead to more competition and lower bills.

He said the 260km (160 miles) electricity cable from the Isle of Grain in Kent to Massvlakte near Rotterdam could be the first of many linking European countries.

A new link is already being built to Ireland, and there are plans for undersea cables linking the UK to Norway, Belgium and France.

In the future, Britain could even be connected to Iceland, giving access to stable supplies of low-carbon geothermal and hydroelectricity.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change said the interconnector with Norway would allow the UK to import electricity generated by hydropower.