TenneT, Statnett and KfW (represented by KfW IPEX-Bank) launched the construction of the NordLink interconnector by driving the first spade into the ground and performing a symbolic cable pulling today in Wilster, Germany.
The ground breaking ceremony for the subsea HVDC power cable which will connect Norwegian and German power grids was attended by Robert Habeck, Minister of Energy of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Norwegian Ambassador Elisabeth Waalas, the mayors of the northern German towns of Wilster and Nortorf, as well as a large number of politicians at national, regional and state level.
The 1.4GW NordLink, rated at ±525 kilovolt (kV), will stretch over 623 kilometers and will be the first direct power link between the German and Norwegian electricity markets once it is completed at the end of 2019.
The link will enable power trading of renewable energy between the two countries.
Germany’s surplus renewable power can be transmitted via NordLink to help Norway cope with high power demand and conserve water in its many hydropower reservoirs. At the other end of the link, Norway can export hydropower to help Germany meet fluctuating daily power demand.
ABB will design, engineer, supply and commission two ±525 kV, 1,400MW converter stations for the project.
One station will be situated near Tonstad in southern Norway and the other near Wilster, where the ground-breaking ceremony was held.