New world-record holding cable ushers power to British homes - Interesting Engineering

New world-record holding cable ushers power to British homes
World's longest undersea cable begins powering 2.5 million British homesBritish consumers can will save 500 million pounds over the next decade thanks to the Viking link electricity interconnector.Amal Jos ChackoPublished: Dec 30, 2023 10:15 AM ESTinnovationThe Viking Link interconnect will bring Danish energy to British homes.National Grid Get a daily digest of the latest news in tech, science, and technology, delivered right to your mailbox. Subscribe now.By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Policies You may unsubscribe at any time.In yet another winning moment for clean energy advocates, the world's longest land and subsea cable, Viking Link electricity interconnector, announced the commencement of commercial operations. National Grid, who launched the UK’s first interconnector to France in 1986, has since built five more, including a second link with France. The Viking Link, a collaborative effort between National Grid and Danish System Operator Energinet, marks a significant milestone in moving towards cleaner, more sustainable power solutions and boasts a substantial capacity of 1.4GW— enough electricity to power up to 2.5 million UK homes. A converter station at the end of the link responsible for transforming power into the correct frequency.National Grid The Viking Link spans an impressive 475 miles and links the Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire, UK, to the Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark. The project, valued at £1.7 billion, promises cumulative savings of over £500 million for UK consumers over the next decade, courtesy of importing cost-effective power from Denmark. See Also Related World’s largest electric cable close to power, could light 1.4 million homes Breakthrough: Mini device converts molecular movement into electricity The future of harvesting electricity from air “This record-breaking new link is a fantastic example of engineering and collaboration with our partner, Energinet,” said Katie Jackson, President of National Grid Ventures, in a statement. “As we deploy more wind power to meet our climate and energy security targets, connections to our neighboring countries will play a vital role in increasing security of supply and reducing prices for consumers.” The Viking Link interconnect cable on land.National Grid Four million labor hours later. Viking Link has a converter station at each end of the cable which transforms power into the correct frequency before passing it onto the respective country’s transmission systems. While Energinet built the converter station on the Danish end, Siemens Energy, National Grid’s principal contractor, was responsible for the same in the UK. The Viking Link project, initiated in 2019, has seen more than four million working hours dedicated to its construction. Along with Siemens Energy, industry leaders like Prysmian Group, Balfour Beatty, and Monck played integral roles in manufacturing and laying high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. The cable extends both underwater and on land. A custom-made vessel, the Leonardo Da Vinci, laid the cable on the seabed which was buried using Asso trenchers. The Leonardo Da Vinci, a custom-made vessel responsible for laying the cable on the seabed.National Grid Rebecca Sedler, Managing Director of National Grid Interconnectors, expressed pride in the accomplishment, saying "Viking Link is an achievement for both Denmark and the UK, and consumers in both countries will benefit from this infrastructure for many years to come." A green triumph and future visions. In its inaugural year, Viking Link is poised to save approximately 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road. The interconnector's initial capacity of 800 MW is set to increase gradually to 1.4 GW. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho lauded the commencement of Viking Link, stating, "The 475-mile cable is the longest land and subsea electricity cable in the world and will provide cleaner, cheaper, more secure energy to power up to 2.5 million homes in the UK." She also noted that British families would save 500 million pounds on their bills over the coming decade while reducing emissions. Images from various states of the Viking Link interconnect's development.National Grid Looking ahead, National Grid plans for new interconnectors, including the LionLink, a 1.8 GW project with TenneT connecting the UK and the Netherlands expected to be operational in the early 2030s. 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