Construction of the NeuConnect interconnector has entered a new phase, with mechanical and electrical fit-out work beginning at the project’s converter stations in Kent and northern Germany.
The £2.4bn (€2.8bn) project will create the first direct electricity connection between the UK and Germany. Converter stations at the Isle of Grain in Kent and Wilhelmshaven will be linked by 725 km of subsea cable, allowing up to 1.4 GW of electricity to flow in either direction.
The connection is designed to improve cross-border energy security and enable greater integration of renewable generation between the two markets. NeuConnect is backed by Meridiam, Allianz, Kansai Electric Power and TEPCO.
The 24-metre-high converter halls have now reached full structural height, with the main buildings substantially complete. Siemens Energy, the main contractor, is moving into internal and external fit-out, including installation of mechanical, electrical and control systems.
Seven transformers are being installed at each converter station. At the UK site, the transformers, each weighing more than 200 tonnes and measuring about 7 m long and 5 m high, have been moved into their final positions. Equipment and accessories are also being fitted to transformers at both sites.
Inside the stations, cable trays, ladders and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning ducting are being installed. Control buildings, which will provide the operational hub for each station, are also being fitted with raised floors, cable trays and ducting.
In Germany, construction has also progressed on the AC switchyard, with support structures being erected for overhead equipment.
Offshore cable installation is advancing alongside the onshore work. More than 350 km of the planned subsea cable route had been laid by the summer, taking the programme beyond the halfway mark.
NeuConnect CEO Arnaud Grévoz said the project was entering “an important new phase” as key systems and equipment are installed.
“With our onshore Converter Stations taking shape and offshore cabling works also well over halfway, we are making good progress and remain firmly on track,” he said.
