Energy — renewables & gridRenewables & grid (Interconnector)

IFA2 France-UK interconnector

English Channel, between Fareham (Hampshire, UK) and Tourbe (Normandy, France) · 2018–2020 (commissioned January 2021) · N/A (estimated £700 million, specific GBP value not readily available)

The judgement call

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Strengthens the integration and exchange of renewable energy between the UK and France, enhancing energy security and grid resilience. - The project highlights the complexities of cross-border energy infrastructure and the need for international collaboration. - The use of HVDC technology is crucial for efficient long-distance power transmission with minimal losses.

Key engineering challenges

Laying high-voltage DC cables on the seabed of the English Channel, a busy and environmentally sensitive area. - Constructing HVDC converter stations at both ends to convert AC to DC and vice versa. - Mitigating potential electromagnetic interference issues from the converter stations (e.g., using Faraday cages).

Project facts

Client / owner: National Grid (UK) and RTE (France)
Lead contractor: Prysmian Group (for cabling), Hitachi Energy (for HVDC converter stations)
Lead designers: N/A
Project type: new build
Scale: 1 GW (1000 MW) capacity; 240 km high-voltage DC (HVDC) subsea cable
Disciplines: electrical; civil; marine; geotechnical
Standards & frameworks: N/A

Sources: National Grid: https://www.nationalgrid.com/ifa2-interconnector/connecting-britain-to-clean-energy - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IFA-2 - Prysmian Group: https://www.prysmian.com/en/insight/projects/prysmian-achieve-milestone-ifa2-uk-france-interconnector-project - Hitachi Energy: https://www.hitachienergy.com/us/en/news-and-events/customer-stories/ifa2

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