BritNed 1 GW HVDC Interconnector between UK and EU

The BritNed cable, the first electricity connection linking The Netherlands and Great Britain, has successfully been taken into operation. A 260-kilometre high voltage direct current connection between the Isle of Grain (Kent, Great Britain) and the Maasvlakte (nearby Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and will transmit power in both directions, driven by supply and demand patterns and by price differentials between the two power markets.

BritNed, a joint venture between grid operators TenneT Holding b.v. (The Netherlands) and National Grid (United Kingdom), is another significant step towards a single European electricity market. This new subsea cable has beneficial effects on the security and diversity of the electricity supply in both countries. Furthermore, the interconnector contributes to integrating European markets, providing greater import and export opportunities. The new interconnector also provides a crucial basis for the next generation of renewable energy production. The challenge is to utilise the full potential of growing renewable energy resources in realising Europe Commission's targets for 2050-- an overall carbon reduction of 80-95% by the year 2050.