National Grid Invests $533M to Extend IFA to 2050
Image for illustrative purposes.
National Grid will invest up to $533 million (£400 million) to keep Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA), the UK-France subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) link, running until at least 2050. National Grid says IFA, Britain’s largest subsea connection by capacity, can carry enough electricity to power about three million British homes.
Announced as IFA marked 40 years in operation, the life-extension programme will upgrade technical equipment, buildings and facilities. IFA is jointly owned by National Grid and RTE, and net imports since 1986 total an estimated 409TWh.
Power also flows to France, including during nuclear outages there in 2022. The need to refurbish Europe’s grids was raised at the Power Transmission & Distribution Technology Expo 2025.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the investment “will ensure this vital link continues into the second half of this century.” Rebecca Sedler, President of NGV UK, National Grid, said it would help “meet the next phase of electricity demand, from AI to electric vehicles.”
Source: National Grid
