Viking Link: the world’s longest interconnector
The scope of this vast project includes the entire 1,400 km of cabling, of which 1250 km for the submarine route and the rest for the land cables on the UK side. The contract from National Grid Viking Link Limited and Energinet includes the turnkey design, manufacturing and installation of the world’s longest interconnector. It will connect Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire, Great Britain and the Revsing substation in South Jutland, Denmark.
The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector will operate at ± 525 kV DC. The aim is to increase access to renewable and sustainable energy sources for over 1.4 million households, potentially reduce the cost of electricity and increase system reliability. Once completed, the connection will improve energy supply security in Denmark and Great Britain by enabling imports from neighbouring interconnected markets.
A project on this scale brings quite a few challenges, especially with regard to manufacturing and rolling out the required cable quantities as well as project management. Keeping to a tight schedule and thinking ahead will remain essential throughout the project. The agreement was signed in August 2019 and commissioning of the project, with a value close to €700 million, is scheduled for December 2023. However, Prysmian had already began organizing all activities well in advance, so that work could commence immediately after signing. A complete team of experts was in place and manufacturing started right away. All cables will be manufactured at the Group’s centre of excellence in Arco Felice (Italy) – and the production has been kicked off in September 2019, right after the signing of the contract.
“We have maintained our production running as per plan, in spite of the COVID-19 complications,” explains Fabrizio Traversi, Project Director, Prysmian Group. “The first cable was successfully tested at the end of May 2020 (Factory Acceptance Tests). This is the first section of cable lengths which will be delivered in the next 3 years. The manufacturing of cable is a very critical part of the entire project, as even the slightest hiccup can result in delays that build up along the line. We’ve invested in expanding our Arco Felice factory, which is a worldwide centre of excellence for the production of paper-insulated cable.”
Fabrizio Traversi
Project Director, Prysmian Group
The central part of the route is relatively far from coast, hundreds of kilometres from the nearest port. The cables cross through 4 Exclusive Economic Zones in Dutch, German, Danish and British waters. Each territory has its own legislation and stakeholders. The cabling crosses more than 40 other lines, such as gas and electricity connections. Each of these aspects requires dedicated activity and dialogue to get approval.
