RUS | ENG | All
Enter the email or login, that you used for registration.
If you do not remember your password, simply leave this field blank and you will receive a new, along with a link to activate.

Not registered yet?
Welcome!

2021-01-08 15:10:00

EUROPEAN POWER GRID UP

EUROPEAN POWER GRID UP

By Kent Knutson Energy Market Specialist Hitachi ABB Power Grids 

 

ENERGYCENTRAL There are several new undersea power cable interconnector projects about to become operational across Europe. These high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) projects will enable significant transfers of renewable energy. On December 8, 2020, the 623-kilometer (km) massive 1,400-megawatt (MW) bi-pole NordLink (aka “the Green Cable”) project was energized, creating, for the first time, an interconnection between Norway and Germany. This optimization makes the interconnect somewhat of an energy storage project that allows both short-term benefits and long-term seasonal benefits in the transfer of carbon-free renewable electricity. Once the project completes its trial phase, the ‘Green Cable’ expects to be in full power flow mode by the Spring of 2021. 

This project, and the soon to be energized IFA-2, connecting the United Kingdom (UK) grid with France’s power grid by year’s end, mark two of several major interconnector projects set to tie the UK with Norway and the European mainland. The longest undersea cable project currently under construction, the North Sea Network Link (NSN Link), between Norway and the UK, is expected online in 2021. These long-haul power transmission projects, along with several additional undersea power cables planned between now and 2024, will enable access to renewable energy, including hydropower, wind, and solar from source to load centers.

NordLink begins the testing phase

The NordLink project is owned by Statnett and DC Nordseekabel GmbH & Co. KG, each with a 50% stake in the project. Germany’s transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT and German development bank, KfW IPEX-Bank, own 50% of the shares in DC Nordseekabel, the company responsible for construction and permits on the German side. TenneT is a leading European electricity transmission system operator (TSO) that operates in the Netherlands and Germany. The company is responsible for the reliability and supply of electricity for about 42 million people.

NordLink consists of 53 km of overhead line from Vollesfjord to Tonstad, 516 km of sub-sea cable, and 54 km of land cable from coastal town Bűsum along the North Sea to Wilster.

NordLink undersea interconnector project path map

Hitachi ABB Power Grids (HAPG) designed and engineered the onshore HVDC converter stations and the cable system in the German sector.  Additionally, the company has a five-year service agreement to maintain the electric system.

NordLink is the world’s first HVDC Light® bi-pole installation to perform at a record level of 525-kilovolt (kV) and 1,400 megawatts (MW), nearly two times the power transmission capacity of earlier long-haul HVDC systems.  The project represents many firsts, including the highest power capacity (1,400 MW), the highest voltage level in an HVDC VSC (voltage-source converters) cable connection (525-kV), the first HVDC connection between Norway and Germany, the world’s longest international HVDC VSC interconnector (623 km), with 516 km of undersea cable, and Europe’s longest HVDC power grid interconnection.  The VSC system consists of a state-of-the-art insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology capable of turning on or off on demand.  The bipolar configuration has two DC conductors in a state of opposite polarity. 

IFA-2 (Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2) Interconnector

The IFA-2 sub-sea cable project can transfer 1,000 MW of electricity between the UK and France. The project entered its testing phase on October 19, 2020, and is expected to be fully energized later this month.

 IFA-2 undersea cable project path map

All work on the HVDC cables linking Great Britain and France were laid in 2019 and early 2020, while six high-voltage alternating-current (HVAC) cables between Monks Hill Beach (location of converter station) and Chilling on the UK side are also complete. The project is a joint venture between the UK’s National Grid and the Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE), France’s electricity transmission system operator. The HVDC cable, 205 km long, will operate at +/-320 kV, with a capacity of 1,000 MW. The project was energized for the first time on October 19, 2020, and is currently testing with full operation expected soon.

The cable connects to the French grid at the Tourbe 400 kV substation. From there, a 300-meter (HVAC) underground cable runs to the converter station. A 24 km underground HVDC cable runs to the landfall point east of Merville-Franceville-Plage, near Caen in Normandy, from the converter station. On the UK side, the landfall point is located at Monks Hill Beach, at the southern end of Solent Airfield, near Portsmouth. The converter station is located northeast of the airfield. From there, a 2 km long HVDC cable runs underwater to the point of connection to the grid at the Chilling (400 kV) substation, near Warsash, Hampshire.

Longest under-sea power interconnector in the world

When complete next year, the North Sea Network Link (NSN Link) will be the longest (730 km) subsea interconnector in the world.  The 1,400 MW HVDC cable, currently under construction, with two parallel cables between Norway and the United Kingdom, is being constructed in partnership between Norway’s Statnett and the UK’s National Grid.  Hitachi ABB Power Grid’s designed, engineered, and is constructing the sophisticated converter stations near Kvilldal, Norway, and Blyth, England.  The undersea cable supplier is an Italian manufacturer, Prysmian Group, with the onshore connections in Norway supplied by Nexans. 

 North Sea Network Link undersea cable project path map

Like other major interconnector projects in and near the North Sea, the NSN Link could be used to interconnect clusters of wind farms, ultimately becoming a backbone for the North Sea offshore grid.  The bipolar design allows for power to flow in two directions depending on available power and will be driven by the prevailing market prices to optimize power costs for customers.

The European interconnector projects support offshore wind’s full value and the optimization of balancing grids with an ever-increasing portfolio of renewable power projects.  According to two recent announcements by the UK and the European Commission, projected growth in offshore wind across Europe could reach 100 GW by as early as 2030. 

How will these massive windfarms transmit power? 

The optimal approach, outlined by National Grid in their Offshore Coordination Phase 1 Final Report published earlier this month, is the development of multi-purpose Interconnectors (MPIs) that can transmit, through economies of scale, large amounts of power from the source wind farm clusters to market via power super-highways.

National Grid is involved in three of the large interconnector projects currently operating or under-construction including, the North Sea Network Link (2021), the IFA-2 (2020), and the Viking Link (2023) between the UK and Denmark.  According to company reports, these projects’ total capacity will add 3.8 GW of capacity to the UK grid. 

There are several other HVDC undersea projects currently in construction, including:

  • ElecLink, 2022, 70 km, 320 +/- kV, 900 MW, connects the UK with France
  • Dolwin 6, 2023, 90 km, 320 +/- kV, 900 MW, connecting Dolwin Zeta Platform wind farm to mainland Germany
  • Dolwin 5, 2024, 130 km, 320 +/- kV, 900 MW, connecting Dolwin Epsilon Platform wind farm to mainland Germany
  • Dogger Bank A, 2024, 207 km, 320 +/- kV, 1,200 MW, connecting Dogger Bank A wind farm to UK mainland
  • Dogger Bank B, 2024, 207 km, 320 +/- kV, 1,200 MW, connecting Dogger Bank B wind farm to UK mainland
  • Johan Sverdrup Phase, 2022, 200 km, 80 +/- kV, 200 MW, connecting Johan Sverdrup platform with Norway
  • Shetland HVDC Link, 2024, 600 MW, connecting the Shetland Islands with Great Britain

The sophisticated undersea interconnector projects vastly improve the capability to transfer renewable energy, and in some cases, for the first time, create high-voltage connections between major European markets and countries.

---

This thought leadership article was originally shared with Energy Central's Grid Professionals Community Group. The communities are a place where professionals in the power industry can share, learn and connect in a collaborative environment. Join the Grid Professionals Community today and learn from others who work in the industry.

-----

Earlier:

SMART ELECTRIC GRID
2020, November, 16, 12:15:00
SMART ELECTRIC GRID
The main question is how to design a better system of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Energy, with low carbon, without reducing the reliability and without imposing undue and unnecessary costs.
 
 CLEAN AND RELIABLE ENERGY
2020, November, 10, 11:00:00
CLEAN AND RELIABLE ENERGY
It’s possible that the coming transportation revolution will greatly reduce demand on the grid.
 
 NEW ENERGY TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES
2020, November, 10, 10:55:00
NEW ENERGY TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES
Utility-scale wireless transmission is another one that could change the way the grid operates.

 

Tags: ENERGY, POWER, GRID