Siemens Energy receives major order for first power connection to Great Britain
Germany: Siemens Energy and the NeuConnect consortium will supply a HVDC transmission system for the first power link between Great Britain and Germany.
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Germany: Siemens Energy and the NeuConnect consortium will supply a HVDC transmission system for the first power link between Great Britain and Germany.
The HVDC link (“NeuConnect Interconnector”) will connect two of Europe’s largest energy markets and enable up to 1.4 GW of electricity to be exchanged in both directions, enough to power up to 1.5 million homes. Access to a more diverse and sustainable energy mix will increase security of supply in both countries. Through the more efficient use of renewable energy, the connection will result in savings of up to 16 million tons of CO2 emissions. The order value for Siemens Energy is in the high three-digit million euro range and will be booked for the current fiscal year.
“If we want to achieve the switch to renewable energy quickly, safely and affordably, we can no longer afford to have to curtail wind energy due to grid bottlenecks and have to cover demand elsewhere with fossil-based power generation,” says Tim Holt, member of the board of Siemens Energy. “The electricity connection between Germany and Great Britain represents the increasing integration of the European electricity market.”
To connect the two power grids, Siemens Energy will build two turnkey HVDC converter stations – one in the Isle of Grain in England, the other in the Wilhelmshaven region in the north of Germany. The energy is then transported through British, Dutch and German waters via a 720 km-long HVDC submarine cable system from Prysmian. In the other converter station, the direct current is converted back into alternating current and fed into the national grid, which brings the energy to the sockets of the consumers.
The European Commission supports the cross-border infrastructure project as it promotes decarbonization in line with the Paris Agreement. The project is expected to be completed by the middle of this decade.
Source: Siemens Energy