Interconnectors
An interconnector enables energy to flow between networks. This page explains which interconnectors exist between the British mainland and other regions or countries. This includes connections to Northern Ireland, France, Holland and the Republic of Ireland.
GB to France
The England-France Interconnector is a 2,000MW high voltage direct current (HVDC) link between the French and British transmission systems which went into service in 1986. Ownership is shared between National Grid Interconnectors Limited (NGIC) and Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE, French Transmission System Operator).
The UK landing point is at Baker’s Gap, near Folkestone from where the interconnector is cabled underground to Sellindge converter station and connected to the transmission system. The interconnector is approximately 70km in length with 45km of subsea cable laid between Folkestone (UK) and Sangatte (France).
GB to Northern Ireland
The HVDC Moyle Interconnector is a 500MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link between the Northern Irish and British transmission systems Auchencrosh, South Ayrshire in Scotland and Ballycronan More, County Antrim in Northern Ireland, which went into service in 2001. It is owned and operated by Mutual Energy.
The Moyle Interconnector links the electricity grids of Northern Ireland and Scotland through submarine cables running between converter stations at Ballycronan More in Islandmagee, County Antrim and Auchencrosh in Ayrshire.
The Moyle Interconnector provides al link for energy trades between the electricity markets of Ireland and Great Britain
GB to Holland
BritNed is a 1000MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power cable between the Isle of Grain in Kent, the United Kingdom; and Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The BritNed cable connects the GB and Dutch electricity markets.
The link operates as a commercial, open-access interconnector and enables customers to buy capacity through a combination of implicit and explicit auctions.
BritNed Development Limited is a joint venture of Dutch TSO TenneT and British National Grid and operates the electricity link between Great Britain and the Netherlands which was commissioned in 2011.
GB to Ireland
The East–West Interconnector is a 500MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine and subsoil power cable which connects the British and Irish electricity markets. The project was developed by the Irish national grid operator EirGrid.
The interconnector is around 260km in length and has the capacity to carry 500 megawatts of electricity between southern Ireland and Britain. The interconnector runs between Deeside in north Wales and Woodland, Co Meath.
The link connects converter stations at Rush North Beach, County Dublin, Ireland, and Barkby Beach in North Wales. The East West Interconnector started commercial operation on 21st December 2012.