The £1.8 billion Viking Link project, an interconnector between the UK and Denmark, was officially launched yesterday. The new link is the world’s longest land and subsea cable, stretching across 475 miles from Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire to southern Jutland in Denmark. With a capacity of 1.4 GW, Viking Link has the potential to power up to 2.5 million UK homes, marking a significant milestone in the energy transition for both countries.

National Grid, the project's developer, announced that Viking Link will save 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in its first year of operation alone. This is equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off UK roads. Over its lifespan, the interconnector is expected to bring £5.2 billion in benefits to UK consumers by facilitating the import and export of clean energy between the two nations.

Viking Link's construction is seen as a cornerstone in the North Sea super grid's development, linking the British and Danish energy grids for the first time. The interconnector has already transported 1,733 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power between the two countries since it began initial operations in December 2023. This figure is expected to increase significantly over time.

John Pettigrew, Group CEO of National Grid, emphasized the importance of connections like Viking Link for national energy security and the global energy market. He noted that projects like Viking Link will help balance the peaks and troughs associated with wind power generation, leading to reliable and cost-effective energy for UK consumers.

Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho highlighted the project's impact on energy bills, with Viking Link set to save consumers £500 million in its first decade. The new interconnector is part of National Grid's broader plans to expand renewable energy infrastructure, including upcoming projects like LionLink and Nautilus that will further integrate the UK's energy grid with other European nations.

Source: nationalgrid.com