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National Grid has signed an agreement with the transmission system operator in the Netherlands to the examine the feasibility to linking together offshore windfarms in British and Dutch waters via a new interconnector.
The group’s commercial arm, National Grid Ventures, will work with Tennet to develop proposals for a multipurpose interconnector that would be capable of connecting up to 4GW of offshore wind generation in the North Sea, while also providing an extra 2GW of interconnection capacity between the UK and the Netherlands.
The companies are aiming to define the requirements of the project by the end of 2021 and have it installed and operating by 2029. They said close cooperation between countries and large-scale infrastructure will be necessary if the UK and the Netherlands are to meet their “ambitious” respective targets of deploying 40GW and 11.5GW offshore wind by the end of the current decade.
Jon Butterworth, managing director of National Grid Ventures, said: “The UK’s binding commitment to net zero by 2050 and the European Green Deal have set clear goals for a low-carbon future for generations to come.
“Multipurpose interconnectors have the potential to act as a key enabler for new offshore wind projects and we’re delighted to be partnering once again with Tennet to deliver an innovative vision to help realise the full green energy potential of the North Sea.
Tennet chief executive Manon Van Beek said: “This agreement allows us to work with National Grid in the North Sea to develop innovative infrastructure that uses every spare electron of offshore wind generation to reach our decarbonisation targets.”
Source: National Grid and Tennet
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