The North Sea Summit was held in Oostende, Belgium on the 24th of April, where Dutch and British Ministers jointly announced plans for a first-of-its-kind electricity link to connect offshore wind between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Nicknamed the ‘Lion Link’ the interconnection aims to support decarbonisation, market integration and strengthen security of supply. Connecting offshore wind via the first cross-border direct current cable of this size would be an important next step towards an integrated offshore grid in the North Sea.
Lion Link is a multi-purpose interconnector, which is designed to link a Dutch offshore wind farm of 2 GW to both countries via subsea interconnectors. This multi-purpose interconnector aims to make more efficient use of the infrastructure, accelerate the delivery and integration of offshore wind, whilst mitigating the impact on coastal communities with fewer individual connections and reduced infrastructure.
Minister Rob Jetten, Climate & Energy, said, “with the North Sea becoming the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe, we are ready to expand the interconnection between the two countries. Lion Link provides close to 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, enough to power 2 million households. This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe. Close collaboration on offshore wind energy and interconnection amongst the North Sea countries is imperative. So in case there is a surplus of wind generated electricity, it can be shared instantly to locations with a shortage of power, and vice versa.”
The EU and UK have an ambitious combined target for offshore wind of about 120 GW by 2030 in the North Sea. This would be a major contribution to both energy security and climate targets. The Netherlands will establish about 21 GW offshore wind around 2030 and studies whether 50 GW in 2040 and 72 GW in 2050 is feasible considering physical space, ecological impact and sufficient demand. The United Kingdom aims to establish up to 50 GW offshore wind by 2030.
Ben Wilson, President of National Grid Ventures, said, “connecting wind farms to multiple markets simultaneously is a game changer for energy infrastructure and brings us one step closer to realising the enormous green energy potential of the North Sea. Not only can we deploy every spare electron where it is needed most, we can help to reduce the impact of infrastructure on coastal communities. We now need the right political, legal and regulatory framework to make it happen and establish a mutually beneficial North Sea grid to deliver a cleaner, fairer, more secure and more affordable energy future for British and European consumers.”
Source: Government of the Netherlands
