NordLink

NordLink is a subsea 1,400 megawatt (MW) HVDC power cable between Norway and Germany, opened in May 2021.[2] The over 500 kilometres (310 mi) long cable operates at a voltage of 500 kV DC.[3][4]

Not to be confused with NorGer.
NORD.LINK
Location of NORD.LINK
Location
CountryNorway
Germany
FromErtsmyra, Norway
Passes throughNorth Sea
ToBüsum shore and Wilster substation, Germany[1]
Ownership information
PartnersStatnett
TenneT TSO / KfW
Construction information
CommissionedMay 2021
Technical information
Typesubmarine cable
Type of currentHVDC
Total length623 km (387 mi)
Power rating1,400 MW
DC voltage500 kV

The cable enables Deutsche Bahn to buy the full production from Mågeli kraftverk in Ullensvang, thereby helping the German railways to become climate-neutral by 2040.[5][6]

Construction

It is estimated to cost €1.5–2 billion,[7] which was financed in 2015[8] when Statnett decided to realize the project.[9] The interconnector was installed between a new substation at Ertsmyra (near Tonstad) in Norway and Wilster substation[1] in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.[10] The connection was expected to be completed in 2020.[8][11] When testing in September 2020, it accidentally imported the full 1,400 MW into Norway for almost a minute, causing cascading grid effects such as a 0.5 Hz frequency change across the Nordic synchronous area.[12][13] The opening ceremony took place on 27 May 2021.[2]

Operation

In November 2021, amid high demand for electricity in Europe, the increased exports from Norway to continental Europe caused conflict with the grid operator of Sweden, which cut export capacity in half, causing the Norwegian operator to do the same for exports to Sweden (on which Denmark and Finland also rely).[14] Grid constraints inside Norway and Germany sometimes restrict NordLink capacity to less than maximum.[15][16]

Ownership

The Norwegian state-owned company and transmission system operator, Statnett SF, owns 50% of the project, whilst the Dutch transmission system operator TenneT TSO and the German state-owned bank KfW own the other half. A cable between Norway and Germany is listed in the EU's projects of common interest (PCI).[3][17]

Sites
Site Coordinates
Tonstad HVDC converter station58°40′06″N 6°45′15″E
Djupvik Cable Terminal58°15′59″N 6°40′47″E
Wilster HVDC converter station53°55′10″N 9°20′40″E

See also

References
  1. Mathias Fischer (2018-05-31). "TenneT launches seven transformer transports from Brunsbüttel to Wilster for the NordLink subsea cable connection to Norway". www.tennet.eu. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  2. "NordLink - TenneT". www.tennet.eu. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  3. "Statnett and E.ON mull Norway-Germany subsea cable". Power Engineering International. PennWell Corporation. 2008-01-10. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  4. "Statnett and E.ON Netz Launch Joint Feasibility Study for a DC-Cable Between Norway And Germany". Transmission & Distribution World. Penton Media, Inc. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
  5. New sources of renewable energy: Deutsche Bahn secures hydroelectric power from Norway
  6. Deutschland nutzt Norwegen jetzt als Batterie (tr. "Germany now uses Norway as a battery")
  7. Evans, Piers Grimley (2012-12-04). "Germany and Norway to build 1.4 GW link". Power Engineering International. PennWell Corporation. Archived from the original on 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
  8. "Erste Aufträge für 1.400-MW-Seekabel Nordlink vergeben" [First orders placed for 1,400 MW Nordlink submarine cable]. www.erneuerbareenergien.de.
  9. Lie, Øyvind. "Statnett bygger kraftkabel til Tyskland" (tr. "Statnett is building a power cable to Germany") Teknisk Ukeblad, 10 February 2015. Retrieved : 22 February 2015.
  10. Crampsie, Sian (2010-04-12). "Statnett submits Nord.Link licence". Utility Week. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
  11. "NordLink, the first direct connection between power markets in Germany and Norway (official TenneT page)". www.tennet.eu.
  12. Viseth, Ellen Synnøve (11 September 2020). "Feil under testing av Nordlink: Importerte 1400 MW fra Tyskland ved et uhell" [Error during Nordlink testing: Accidentally imported 1400 MW from Germany]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020.
  13. "Fault during testing of NordLink". Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  14. Jesper Starn (2021-12-06). "Europe's Thirst for Electricity Spurs Nordic Grid Blockade". Bloomberg News. Sweden moved to safeguard the security of its grid after Norway started increasing electricity exports through huge new cables to Germany and the U.K. [...] The Swedish grid manager Svenska Kraftnat has reduced export capacity at cables across its borders by as much as half this year to keep operations secure. [...] At the same time, Norway halving available export capacity to about 1,200 megawatts will increase risk of shortages.
  15. "Dette er begrensningene som hindrer lik strømpris i Norge". Europower | Siste nyheter fra fornybarbransjen (in Norwegian). 20 October 2021.
  16. "Så ofte strupes utenlandskablene". Europower | Siste nyheter fra fornybarbransjen (in Norwegian). 23 September 2021.
  17. Nordic Grid Development Plan 2014 Archived 2015-01-04 at the Wayback Machine" page 59, Document no. 13/81818 - 5. Nordic TSOs, August 2014. Retrieved : January 2015.
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