NemoLink Belgium-UK interconnector
English Channel, between Richborough Energy Park (Kent, UK) and Zeebrugge (Belgium) · 2016–2019 (commercial operation January 2019) · N/A (estimated €500 million)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe project successfully navigated significant challenges related to UXO, demonstrating advanced survey and mitigation techniques in subsea cable installation. - Nemo Link enhances energy security and market integration between the UK and Belgium, facilitating the flow of renewable energy.
Key engineering challenges
Laying HVDC submarine cables across the English Channel, a busy and historically significant area. - Identifying and safely dealing with over 1,200 potential unexploded ordnances (UXO) on the seabed during cable route surveys and installation. - Ensuring reliable and efficient power transfer between two different national grids with varying operational characteristics.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- National Grid (UK) and Elia (Belgium) (joint venture)
- Lead contractor
- Sumitomo Electric (cables), Siemens (converter stations), DeepOcean (installation)
- Lead designers
- Stantec (involved in HVDC design)
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 1 GW (1000 MW) capacity; 141.5 km HVDC cable (130 km subsea, 11.5 km land)
- Disciplines
- electrical; civil; marine; geotechnical
- Standards & frameworks
- N/A
Sources: Nemo Link: https://www.nemolink.co.uk/ - National Grid: https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-celebrates-five-years-its-nemo-link-interconnector - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemo_Link - Sumitomo Electric: https://global-sei.com/company/press/2018/12/prs106.html