The 1.4GW NeuConnect will be the first interconnector linking the UK and Germany and will be capable of providing power to 1.5 million UK homes.

After years of surveys, procurement, planning applications and approvals, the NeuConnect is moving forwards with awards for over £1.5 billion in major contracts and the appointment of Arup-Fichtner to oversee delivery.

The NeuConnect is an interconnector that will connect the UK and Germany for the first time. The UK market will benefit from increased competition, potentially leading to reduced costs for customers, while the German systems will have a new market to export excess renewable energy to reduce bottlenecks.

The interconnector will be a 450 mile long high-voltage land and subsea cable that runs through German, Dutch and British waters from Kent, England, to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. With a capacity of 1.4GW or 1,400 megawatts, the connection could have potential to power around 1.5 million homes on either side and help long-term integration of energy markets, increase competition and provide crucial energy security and flexibility.

Interconnectors enable links between energy networks in different countries to support safe, secure and affordable energy. Importantly, they can share excess low-carbon electricity to support net-zero goals and will be a critical tool for ensuring efficient, clean energy.

The UK already has a portfolio of interconnectors that currently support the grid:

• 1986 – 2GW IFA (England – France)
• 2001 – 0.5GW Moyle (Northern Ireland – Scotland)
• 2011 – 1GW BritNed (England – Netherlands)
• 2012 – 05.GW EWIC (Wales – Ireland)
• 2019 – 1GW Nemo (England – Belgium)
• 2020 – 1GW IFA2 (England – France)

NeuConnect will also generate a range of consumer and economic benefits by creating jobs and business opportunities. The indicative delivery timeline projects that the project will begin constructing and laying the subsea cables and testing and commissioning the interconnector in the early 2020s, with project completion expected in the mid-2020s.