Hi Dan, I wondered if this was news to you, as a possible type of connection. This one between Ireland and the UK. Only at the proposal/agreement stage.
UK and Ireland announce deal connecting offshore windfarms to energy networks
HVDC Interconnectors
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
8.7kWp PV [2.12kWp SSW + 4.61kWp ESE PV + 2.0kWp WNW PV]
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Two BEV's.
Two small A2A heatpumps.
20kWh Battery storage.
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
Very much news to me - I'll do some digging!
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Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
I keep an eye on interconnector flows and see that today at 09.00 we are importing 7+ GW which is around 30% of the total metered supply.
And still we are building more interconnectors. When is enough enough or too much even?
Could be the exporting countries have excess production and are willing to sell it to us cheaply. EG France have the nuclear set at their winter settings and at times have excess which has a marginal cost of production of near zero and probably cost more to dispose of the excess heat energy being produced by the reactor. Norway has excess hydro so again the same applies. The other countries are more about grid balancing and are using us because we have the ability to do this because of all the flexible gas we have.
Could be this is a real net gainer for the UK ? I have never seen this aspect discussed but clearly the boffins/Gov think it is a good thing. It could be that when we are c100% RE we will need somewhere to send our excess.
I cannot help but see that these interconnectors (total capacity of c10GW ?)have been built in less time than one nuclear ie HPC. I suspect the interconnectors supply cheaper leccy than HPC will - I wonder how much they cost to build ? less that the 40B HPC i bet which will only produce 3GW.
Ken
And still we are building more interconnectors. When is enough enough or too much even?
Could be the exporting countries have excess production and are willing to sell it to us cheaply. EG France have the nuclear set at their winter settings and at times have excess which has a marginal cost of production of near zero and probably cost more to dispose of the excess heat energy being produced by the reactor. Norway has excess hydro so again the same applies. The other countries are more about grid balancing and are using us because we have the ability to do this because of all the flexible gas we have.
Could be this is a real net gainer for the UK ? I have never seen this aspect discussed but clearly the boffins/Gov think it is a good thing. It could be that when we are c100% RE we will need somewhere to send our excess.
I cannot help but see that these interconnectors (total capacity of c10GW ?)have been built in less time than one nuclear ie HPC. I suspect the interconnectors supply cheaper leccy than HPC will - I wonder how much they cost to build ? less that the 40B HPC i bet which will only produce 3GW.
Ken
Last edited by Ken on Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
Yep Ken, the interconnectors look a lot more promising than HPC. The Morocco scheme alone looks to be bigger, cheaper, quicker and dare I say simpler, than HPC.
If our plans for off-shore wind pan out, then we should have an ever greater amount of cheap export (UK excess), to sell, so long as we can move it to the right places, at the right times.
Remember Andrew Smith (AZPS) from the old site. [Still haven't managed to contact him, to tell him about Camelot.] His now very old article, looks as good today, as when it was written, with the UK having a theoretical off-shore wind potential somewhere between 10 to 100 times our future leccy needs.
The UK is the ‘Saudi Arabia’ of wind energy
Obviously, the theory is easier than the reality, but the potential is excellent, if all of the parts can come together.
If our plans for off-shore wind pan out, then we should have an ever greater amount of cheap export (UK excess), to sell, so long as we can move it to the right places, at the right times.
Remember Andrew Smith (AZPS) from the old site. [Still haven't managed to contact him, to tell him about Camelot.] His now very old article, looks as good today, as when it was written, with the UK having a theoretical off-shore wind potential somewhere between 10 to 100 times our future leccy needs.
The UK is the ‘Saudi Arabia’ of wind energy
Obviously, the theory is easier than the reality, but the potential is excellent, if all of the parts can come together.
8.7kWp PV [2.12kWp SSW + 4.61kWp ESE PV + 2.0kWp WNW PV]
Two BEV's.
Two small A2A heatpumps.
20kWh Battery storage.
Two BEV's.
Two small A2A heatpumps.
20kWh Battery storage.
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
The EU (and yes I know we're no longer in it) years ago set a target for all states to have at least 15% of their generation capacity to be matched by cross-border HVDC interconnectors by 2030.
For its part, the UK has a target of 18GW of interconnector capacity by that time. We have 10GW at the moment, with a further 9GW either in construction or at least have achieved planning consent, so we will not be far off that by 2030.
In terms of costs -
Viking Link to Denmark (1.4GW although still grid-constrained to 800MW) cost around £1.7 Billion, and is our longest sub-sea one (at the moment).
North Sea Link to Norway (1.4GW) cost around £1 Billion.
By contrast, ElecLink (1GW, and which went via the Channel Tunnel to France), cost approx £400 million.
In terms of construction -
most of these projects seem to take 3-5 years between start of construction and commissioning. The bigger time drag is as ever in the planning and consenting process. But it's clear that they're quicker and cheaper to build than HPC! Although the obvious caveat is that they're not adding new sources of generation...
For its part, the UK has a target of 18GW of interconnector capacity by that time. We have 10GW at the moment, with a further 9GW either in construction or at least have achieved planning consent, so we will not be far off that by 2030.
In terms of costs -
Viking Link to Denmark (1.4GW although still grid-constrained to 800MW) cost around £1.7 Billion, and is our longest sub-sea one (at the moment).
North Sea Link to Norway (1.4GW) cost around £1 Billion.
By contrast, ElecLink (1GW, and which went via the Channel Tunnel to France), cost approx £400 million.
In terms of construction -
most of these projects seem to take 3-5 years between start of construction and commissioning. The bigger time drag is as ever in the planning and consenting process. But it's clear that they're quicker and cheaper to build than HPC! Although the obvious caveat is that they're not adding new sources of generation...
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
Update -
Greenlink, the 500MW HVDC interconnector between Wales and Ireland, has now been fully commissioned and is in "commercial operations"
https://renews.biz/100094/greenlink-starts-operations/
This brings the UK's cross-border HVDC links to 10.7GW.
Another 8GW are in the pipeline.
Next link to complete should be the 1.4GW Neu Connect cable to Germany - targeted for commissioning late 2026.
Greenlink, the 500MW HVDC interconnector between Wales and Ireland, has now been fully commissioned and is in "commercial operations"
https://renews.biz/100094/greenlink-starts-operations/
This brings the UK's cross-border HVDC links to 10.7GW.
Another 8GW are in the pipeline.
Next link to complete should be the 1.4GW Neu Connect cable to Germany - targeted for commissioning late 2026.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Re: HVDC Interconnectors
Update - Neu Connect (1.4GW link to Germany) has started on-shore construction of the Converter Station on the Isle of Grain. Also, the second phase of sub-sea cable laying to commence in the next couple of weeks.
However, although work is progressing, the timeline for final commissioning has slipped from mid-2026 to early 2028. This is the next Interconnector due to be completed.
However, although work is progressing, the timeline for final commissioning has slipped from mid-2026 to early 2028. This is the next Interconnector due to be completed.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work