NorthConnect

The NorthConnect (also known as Scotland–Norway interconnector) was a proposed 650 km (400-mile) 1,400 MW HVDC interconnector over the floor of the North Sea.

Not to be confused with North Sea Link.

NorthConnect
Location
CountryNorway
United Kingdom (Scotland)
FromSamnanger, Norway
Passes throughNorth Sea
ToPeterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (preliminary)
Ownership information
OwnerNorthConnect
PartnersAgder Energi, Norway
E-CO, Norway
Lyse Energi, Norway
Vattenfall, Sweden
OperatorNorthConnect
Construction cost£1.3 billion[1]
Technical information
Typesubmarine cable
Type of currentHVDC
Total length650 km (400 mi)
Power rating1,400 MW[2]

Interconnection

It would have been the first HVDC route to connect Scotland's electricity network directly to that of mainland Europe (though there are existing connections from England to mainland Europe), whereas Norway already has interconnectors to Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.[3]

Project partners

The £1.75 billion project was promoted by NorthConnect, a Norwegian company specially set up by five electricity companies (Agder Energi, E-CO, Lyse, SSE plc and Vattenfall) to advance the scheme. It was hoped that the connector will assist the growth of the Norwegian and Scottish renewable energy industries.[4]

Route

The Scottish landfall would have been at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, where the connector will join the National Grid. The Norwegian landfall will be Simadalen at the head of the Hardangerfjord in Norway, at the Sima Kraftwerk hydroelectric plant.[5]

Specification

The HVDC cable was proposed to be approximately 665 km (413 miles) long, and have a capacity of 1,400 MW.[5] It was expected to cost €1.7 billion.[6]

Project history

On 5 March 2013, it was announced that SSE has left the project.[7] The Norwegian government ruled that only Statnett could own export cables.[8] In 2016, Norway debates rules for export cables.[9][10]

In June 2016, Ofgem approved NorthConnect. Other approvals were still needed.[11]

The European Union put NorthConnect on the "Projects of Common Interest" list and supported its development with €10 million.[1][12][13]

A 2019 analysis by the Norwegian water department indicates that the connection would be economically viable despite an increase of less than half a eurocent per kWh for Norwegian consumers.[14][15]

By 2019, the project had received all the most important marine and planning consents in the UK. Following detailed design work, it was hoped that the link will be constructed between 2019 and 2022.[16] The consortium hoped to make a final investment decision in 2020.[6]

On 25 March 2020, NorthConnect received a letter from the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, informing them that NorthConnect's license applications would not be processed at the present time.[17][18]

At the end of 2021, the Norwegian finance minister stated that there was no intention to process the application.[19][20]

In March 2023, the Norwegian government rejected the project's license application.[21]

See also

References
  1. "UK-Norway link bags EU grant". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  2. "NorthConnect Interconnector". 4C. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  3. Fyall, Jenny (29 September 2011). "Cable to Norway could be subsea 'supergrid'". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  4. Jones, Peter (29 September 2011). "Norway electricity sharing 'by 2020'". The Times Scotland. London. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  5. "What is NorthConnect?". North Connect. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  6. "NorthConnect FAQ". Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  7. "UK power firm SSE pulls out of UK-Norway cable project". Reuters. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  8. "Kabelmonopol ikke fjernet - kabelselskap frykter å bli nedprioritert" [Cable monopoly not removed - cable companies fear being downgraded]. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  9. "Konkurransetilsynet advarer mot økte kraftpriser - vil at kun Statnett skal få bygge kabler til utlandet" [The Norwegian Competition Authority warns against increased power prices - wants only Statnett to be allowed to build cables abroad]. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  10. "Politisk flertall for private utenlandskabler" [Political majority for private foreign cables]. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  11. "Ofgem approves Scotland-Norway power cable". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  12. "EU funding boost for Scotland-Norway power cable". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  13. "EU cash boost for electricity "superhighway"". Press and Journal. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  14. "Venstre: Kommuner vil tape milliarder på kabel-nei" [Left: Municipalities will lose billions on cable - no]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. 8 March 2020.
  15. Viseth, Ellen Synnøve (10 December 2019). "NVE: Ny skottlandskabel er lønnsom for Norge, men strøm og nettleie kan bli dyrere" [NVE: New Scottish cable is profitable for Norway, but electricity and network rental may be more expensive]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad.
  16. "How". NorthConnect. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  17. "NorthConnect takes note of the OED's decision". northconnect.co.uk. NorthConnect. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  18. "Norway puts subsea power link to Scotland on hold". 30 March 2020.
  19. "Vedum gravlegger NorthConnect for godt" [Vedum is burying NorthConnect for good]. e24.no. e24.no. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  20. Viseth, Ellen Synnøve (13 October 2021). "Støre-regjeringen: Vil ikke godkjenne noen nye utenlandskabler" [The Støre government: Will not approve any new foreign cables]. Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021.
  21. Clark, Tim (20 March 2023). "Norwegian government rejects plans for 1.4GW electricity interconnector to the UK". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
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