ElecLink
ElecLink
Electrical interconnector between the UK and France
ElecLink is a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical interconnector between the United Kingdom and France, passing through the Channel Tunnel. ElecLink commenced operations on 25 May 2022.
| ElecLink | |
|---|---|
Map of ElecLink | |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom, France |
| Coordinates | 51°5′54.2″N 1°8′40.9″E 50°55′12.7″N 1°46′50.2″E |
| General direction | North–South |
| From | Folkestone, United Kingdom |
| Passes through | English Channel |
| To | Peuplingues, France |
| Ownership information | |
| Owner | Getlink |
| Construction information | |
| Manufacturer of conductor/cable | Prysmian[1] |
| Manufacturer of substations | Siemens |
| Contractors | Balfour Beatty |
| Construction started | 2017 |
| Construction cost | £490 million[2] |
| Commissioned | 25 May 2022 |
| Technical information | |
| Type | submarine cable |
| Type of current | HVDC |
| Total length | 51 km (32 mi) |
| Power rating | 1,000 MW |
| DC voltage | ±320 kV |
| No. of poles | 2 |
| No. of circuits | 1 |
| Website | www |
The 51-kilometre (32-mile) DC cable runs via the Channel Tunnel between HVDC converter stations at Peuplingues in France and Folkestone in the UK, with an additional 14.5 km (9.0 mi) of underground AC cable on the English side to Sellindge substation, and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) on the French side to Les Mandarins substation,[3] to link the converter stations to the existing transmission networks.[4]
It is owned by a subsidiary of Getlink, which owns the tunnel itself.
ElecLink is the first UK interconnector to be entirely funded by private finance, without being underwritten by electricity consumers.[5]
The two convertor stations were constructed by Siemens and the Siemens FIT (Field Installation Team). The HVDC cables and the cable between the Folkstone convertor station and the National Grid substation at Sellindge were constructed by Prysmian and installed by Balfour Beatty, while RTE constructed the cable between the Peuplingues convertor station and the Les Mandarins substation.[3][1]
A specialized, 51-metre-long (167 ft), work train was manufactured by Clayton Equipment for the project to allow the HVDC cable to be installed[6][5] in 2021 and tested.[7] The train contained drilling modules, monorail modules, jointing platforms and hauling equipment, as well as staff accommodations and was entirely battery-powered.
In the entire length of the tunnel, a hexagonal monorail track was installed, as well as two, 7-metre-high (23 ft) high, 4-track helices (one on each end), that was straddled by a cable carrier which could carry sections of 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of HVDC cable into the tunnel. The actual cable pull happened between February and summer 2021, with cable sections then spliced in cleanrooms inside the tunnel.[3][8] The monorail was later removed.
Work commenced on the project in 2017.[2]
The foundation stone of the Folkestone converter station was laid in February 2017, by Jesse Norman MP, Minister for Industry and Energy.[9]
In 2019, the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), which oversees the safety of the Channel Tunnel, suspended part of the project's consent due to concerns about safety of the HVDC cables within the tunnels.[10] This decision prevented the cables from being installed. The IGC was expected to make a final decision on whether the cables can be installed in April 2020, based on a recommendation from the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority,[11] however this approval was again delayed due to further safety concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
In December 2020, the IGC announced its approval of the project, with the cable expected to be installed by summer 2021 and commercial operation expected to start in mid-2022.[12]
In February 2022, the IGC and national safety authorities announced their approval of ElecLink, which allowed final testing of the interconnector to commence, with entry into service still planned for mid-2022.[13]
ElecLink commenced operations on 25 May 2022.
- Sharpe, Lorna (24 February 2017). "ElecLink awards Channel Tunnel interconnector construction contract". E&T. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- Shrestha, Priyanka (24 February 2017). "Work begins on £490m UK-France power link". Energy Live News. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- "The ElecLink Project" (PDF). Eleclink.
- "What we do". ElecLink. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- "The ElecLink Project" (PDF). ElecLink. November 2019.
- "1 GW ElecLink is ready for full operations now". 4c Offshore. 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021.
- "Putting power through the tunnel" (PDF). Rail Infrastructure. No. 38. NPT Publishing. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- "Eurotunnel Press Release 23 Feb 2017" (PDF). eleclink. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- Spero, Josh (24 March 2019). "'Eyebrows raised' over Eurotunnel cable finance disclosure". Financial Times.(subscription required)
- "IGC Statement on ElecLink project". Channel Tunnel IGC. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- "UK-France Eleclink power interconnector approved". Argus Media. 21 December 2020.
- "ElecLink: The Intergovernmental Commission and the national safety authorities give the go-ahead". Getlink Group. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.