NeuConnect’s UK-Germany interconnector to deliver significant carbon savings
Published by Bella Weetch,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
A new interconnector between the UK and Germany will deliver significant carbon benefits, an independent new report has shown, with the NeuConnect link helping deliver a 16 million t reduction in CO2 – the equivalent of planting 28 million new trees or removing 400 000 cars off the road in a year.
NeuConnect is a privately-financed £1.4 billion interconnector that will create the first direct link between UK and German electricity networks, connecting two of Europe’s largest energy markets for the first time. Over 700 km of subsea cables will form an ‘invisible highway’ to allow 1.4 GW of electricity to flow in either direction, helping to deliver a more resilient and sustainable supply in the the two countries.
The UK and Germany have set ambitious targets for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the UK Government’s recent Energy White Paper included analysis that underlined the role interconnectors can play in decarbonisation targets. With NeuConnect, the UK will be able to tap into significant renewable energy sources in northern Germany, while in the German market – where wind turbines are frequently powered-down due to excess energy being created – the link will help reduce bottlenecks and curtailments, by opening up an important new market for surplus renewable energy to be exported to.
To further assess NeuConnect’s contribution to UK, German and European decarbonisation objectives, global advisors FTI CL Consulting were commissioned to carry out a detailed analysis of the project. In summary, the headline results of the report show that NeuConnect will:
- Result in a net reduction in carbon emissions of 16 Mt CO2 over 25 years
- Play a significant role in enabling Europe to reach its net-zero targets
- Facilitate greater integration of renewable generation between the UK and Germany while also improving the security of supply in each country.
NeuConnect is being developed by an international consortium led by Meridiam together with Allianz Capital Partners on behalf of Allianz Group and Kansai Electric Power, with the project also supported by Greenage Power and Frontier Power.
The delivery of the NeuConnect project continues to make strong progress, with a major procurement programme worth over £1 billion well underway, lands secured in the UK and Germany with local planning processes well advanced, 700 km of seabed surveys completed, and the project receiving Project of Common Interest status, placing it on the list of Europe’s priority energy projects.
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry read our latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global’s Winter 2020 issue
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/electric-hybrid/03022021/neuconnects-uk-germany-interconnector-to-deliver-significant-carbon-savings/
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