Viking Link submarine cable nearly finished: England and Denmark now fully connected

The project is nearing completion. Last week it reached its biggest milestone to date when the final section of the submarine cable was laid and assembled in the North Sea, according to Danish TSO Energinet. Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023, the 765-kilometre-long connection is an important part of Denmark's efforts to ensure long-term security of supply of green energy.

Together with its UK partner, National Grid, Energinet spent 10 years planning and building an electricity connection between the two countries. On Thursday, 13 July 2023, the last link of the large submarine cable was installed on the seabed in the North Sea. The project creates a new electric highway that can export and import power via a 1400 MW connection, equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 1.4 million households. Renewable energy can thus be used where it is needed, further accelerating the energy transition and more efficient utilisation of energy resources across national borders.

Commenting on the successful establishment of the cable, Henrik Riis, Managing Director of Electricity Transmission at Energinet, said: "The completion of the Viking Link cable laying is a fantastic moment for both the UK and Denmark. After years of planning and construction, we are fully connected - from one grid to another - and one step closer to sharing green energy with each other for the first time. When Viking Link is ready to go into operation at the turn of the year, the connection will contribute to ensuring security of supply in both countries, as well as in the rest of Europe. Something that we have learnt that we cannot take for granted, but instead must work proactively to ensure. At the same time, Viking Link helps to ensure that every green electron produced - no matter where in Europe - is used to its full potential. This is something we are proud to be able to contribute to".

The work of laying and connecting the cable in the North Sea was carried out throughout the project by Italian cable manufacturer Prysmian. The final section of the submarine cable was installed 172 kilometres off the Danish coast in German and Dutch waters and took several days to complete. The work involved a highly specialised cable-laying process where a section of the cable is taken from the seabed and connected to a new section - wire by wire - before the entire piece is reinstalled on the seabed by flushing it under the sand to a depth where it is safely protected.