Cross-channel power link for 1m British homes opens

(The Guardian, 22 Jan 2021) Electricity cable stretches 149 miles on seafloor between UK and France.

A new high-voltage subsea cable linking the UK to France has begun importing enough electricity to power 1m British homes.

The delayed power cable, which is the second interconnector linking the UKto France, will stretch 149 miles along the seafloor between Hampshire in the UK and Normandy in France.

The interconnector, known as IFA2, is expected to meet about 1.2% of Britain’s electricity demand and help to reduce the use of fossil fuels by importing electricity generated by France’s nuclear power plants.

The power imports could help to avoid 1.2m tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in the first year of the interconnector’s operation.

In return, the UK will be able to sell any extra clean electricity from its growing fleet of offshore wind turbines, which is expected to quadruple in the next 10 years.

External link

The Guardian, 22 Jan 2021: Cross-channel power link for 1m British homes opens