Italy-headquartered cable systems giant Prysmian has completed the €2.8 billion NeuConnect interconnector project’s first phase of cabling works in the UK waters, marking an important step in establishing the first direct energy link between the UK and Germany.
With converter stations under construction on the Isle of Grain in Kent and Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany, the 725-kilometer land and subsea cable system is said to create an “invisible energy highway” capable of transferring 1.4 GW of electricity enough to power 1.5 million homes, in either direction.
Led by global investors Meridiam, Allianz Capital Partners, Kansai Electric Power, and TEPCO, the interconnector aims to enhance energy security and integrate renewable energy across both nations.
The first phase of cabling works saw 56 kilometers of onshore and subsea cables installed. Prysmian’s Cable Enterprise vessel has been laying subsea cables in UK waters, burying them beneath the seabed to minimize environmental impacts. Additionally, this phase included ‘pull-in’ works, through new underground ducts to NeuConnect’s Isle of Grain site.
“Completing this first phase of cabling is a major milestone for NeuConnect and an important symbolic moment for the UK and Germany as a major new energy link between both countries begins to take shape,” said Julia Prescot , Chair of NeuConnect.
“As one of the world’s longest interconnectors, this phase of works is very much a first stage in a much longer 725km cabling marathon – we are pleased to have reached this important milestone but are not complacent about the scale of works to be completed, and close working with our industry partners will be crucial in keeping this vital new energy link firmly on track.”
Start of cabling, autumn 2024
NeuConnect began major construction in 2023, as it was granted all key regulatory approvals at the end of the same year, following the second partial approval for the construction and operation of the converter station on the German side.
However, the project commenced major construction in the UK in the summer of 2023 . It was reported at the beginning of November 2023 that the first phase of the construction had been completed .
Foundation works for the UK converter station are ongoing, with piling works also initiated at the German converter station . The cabling installation will pause during the winter and ramp up again in 2025, continuing through UK, Dutch, and German waters until 2027.
Once completed in 2028, NeuConnect will utilize 525 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables, a technology designed to deliver a reliable and efficient connection between the UK and German energy grids.
In August 2024, the C-Horizon vessel was deployed to begin shallow water debris removal, boulder relocation, and pre-lay grapnel run activities in UK waters, clearing the cable route for the first UK-Germany energy link.