In a first step towards a single European electricity market, the UK and Dutch electricity grids were united on Friday when the 260 km BritNed undersea cable went live.
The £500 million, 1000 MW high voltage connection runs between the Isle of Grain in Kent and Maasvlakte near Rotterdam and transmits power in both directions, depending on demand, supply and price differentials.
The joint venture between National Grid and TenneT, the Dutch transmission system operator, will also allow more integration of renewable energy such as wind farms in both the UK and mainland Europe into the grid.
“[The] ability that we will now have to move power across national borders means we can use the full potential of renewable energy from wind – making it easier to import when wind is not available and export when there is a surplus,” says Nick Winser, executive director of National Grid.
“The connection of UK to wider European markets will increase competition among suppliers and also give electricity generators more opportunities,” he adds.
The development has been welcomed by UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, who commented:
“This is good news for our energy security, for UK renewables and for consumers. It plugs the UK directly into a wider European electricity market, allowing us to import our peak needs cheaply rather than hold expensive plant in readiness.”
He added that by 2020 there could be over 10 GW of electricity flowing between the UK and mainland Europe if additional planned cables go ahead.
The BritNed cable is the first new electricity connections between the UK and mainland Europe for 25 years, when the IFA link joined the UK to France.
It will be open to all energy companies and supplies through day-ahead (‘implicit’) or longer-term annual, monthly or intraday (‘explicit’) auctions of capacity.
Source: www.energyefficiencynews.com
The £500 million, 1000 MW high voltage connection runs between the Isle of Grain in Kent and Maasvlakte near Rotterdam and transmits power in both directions, depending on demand, supply and price differentials.
The joint venture between National Grid and TenneT, the Dutch transmission system operator, will also allow more integration of renewable energy such as wind farms in both the UK and mainland Europe into the grid.
“[The] ability that we will now have to move power across national borders means we can use the full potential of renewable energy from wind – making it easier to import when wind is not available and export when there is a surplus,” says Nick Winser, executive director of National Grid.
“The connection of UK to wider European markets will increase competition among suppliers and also give electricity generators more opportunities,” he adds.
The development has been welcomed by UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, who commented:
“This is good news for our energy security, for UK renewables and for consumers. It plugs the UK directly into a wider European electricity market, allowing us to import our peak needs cheaply rather than hold expensive plant in readiness.”
He added that by 2020 there could be over 10 GW of electricity flowing between the UK and mainland Europe if additional planned cables go ahead.
The BritNed cable is the first new electricity connections between the UK and mainland Europe for 25 years, when the IFA link joined the UK to France.
It will be open to all energy companies and supplies through day-ahead (‘implicit’) or longer-term annual, monthly or intraday (‘explicit’) auctions of capacity.
Source: www.energyefficiencynews.com
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