UK energy market regulator Ofgem has certified the €2.8 billion NeuConnect project, a high-voltage submarine cable that will create the first direct energy transmission link between the UK and Germany, as an Independent Transmission System Operator (TSO), a prerequisite necessary before the link becomes operational.
With converter stations on the Isle of Grain in Kent and Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany, the 725-kilometer NeuConnect interconnector is said to create an “invisible energy highway” capable of transferring 1.4 GW of electricity in either direction, enough to power 1.5 million homes.
Ahead of becoming operational, NeuConnect was required to be certified as a TSO by Ofgem. Following a detailed application process, Ofgem has published its certification decision on August 1, confirming NeuConnect’s certification in accordance with the “unbundling requirements of the Electricity Act 1989”.
The regulatory milestone follows other key progress in the construction program, including Prysmian’s Leonardo da Vinci, the world’s largest cable-laying vessel (CLV), continuing work last month to install subsea cabling in UK waters.
Prysmian completed the first phase of cabling works in UK waters in November 2024, installing 56 kilometers of onshore and subsea cables.
NeuConnect CEO Arnaud Grévoz said: “With NeuConnect’s construction well-underway and making good progress, we are increasingly focussed on preparations for the start of operations, so receiving Independent TSO certification from Ofgem is another vital piece of the jigsaw. This is not only a crucial step for NeuConnect, it will also bring another transmission operator into the UK energy market, offering an important boost to competition, resilience and security.”
NeuConnect is expected to be operational by 2028.