New power cable between Netherlands, UK to bring more green energy

There will soon be a new electricity connection between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, to which a Dutch offshore wind farm will be directly linked for the first time. The submarine cable, LionLink, with a length of approximately 250 kilometers, will be able to provide electricity to 2 million households by 2030. Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy) and his British colleague Grant Shapps will announce this on Monday afternoon at the North Sea summit in Ostend, Belgium.

National grid operator TenneT and the British National Grid are developing the new direct current cable. “The North Sea will become the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe,” said Minister Jetten. “Close cooperation in offshore wind energy and interconnections between North Sea countries are essential in this respect.”

LionLink can supply almost 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, “enough to power 2 million households,” according to the Minister. The new connection is also intended to reduce CO2 emissions, increase energy independence in Europe, and increase the security of supply. “For example, if there is a surplus of wind energy, this can be immediately shared with countries with a power shortage, and vice versa,” said Jetten. Connecting offshore wind farms via the first cross-border direct current cable of this size is a new step towards an integrated offshore network in the North Sea.

By 2030, the Netherlands will have realized approximately 21 gigawatts of offshore wind energy and is investigating whether another 50 GW in 2040 and 72 GW in 2050 are feasible, also given the physical space and ecological impact.