Construction of the world’s longest electricity interconnector begins

The construction phase of the Viking Link Interconnector project, a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) link between the UK and Denmark has commenced with Siemens Energy Ltd mobilizing to the site to start the construction of the first stage of works, a 2.4 km long access road for the Bicker Fen converter station site.

Siemens Energy was appointed to construct the UK and Denmark converter stations on both ends of the interconnector link. UK work started in July to build a new access road to the site. The permanent road will take nine months to complete and will enable access for the major construction equipment to the Converter Station and for operational vehicles to access the site once the Converter station is completed in 2023.

Viking Link project is a joint venture between National Grid Ventures, part of National Grid, and the Danish electricity system owner and operator, Energinet. The 1.4 GW high voltage electricity interconnector will be the longest in the world when completed, stretching 765 km subsea and onshore connecting from Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire, UK and Revsing in South Jutland, Denmark to enable clean energy to be shared.

Once completed by the end of 2023, the EUR2 billion (US$2.3 billion) subsea electricity cable will have the capacity to be able to supply renewable energy to power one and a half million UK homes. By 2030, 90% of electricity imported via National Grid’s interconnectors will be from zero-carbon sources.