North Sea Link Project

The North Sea Link Project was a joint venture between British grid operator National Grid and Norwegian transmission operator Statnett to build a direct high-voltage direct current electricity interconnector between the two countries beneath the North Sea. Construction ran from 2015 to 2021, and on completion the cable was the longest subsea power interconnector in the world, allowing Norway's abundant hydropower to balance against British wind generation, exporting when British wind output is low and importing surplus British wind power to help fill Norwegian reservoirs when it is high. The project was part of a wider buildout of subsea interconnectors linking Great Britain more closely to continental European electricity markets.