The project, called IFA2, would be the second interconnector between Britain and France and will be capable of exchanging 1000MW of power between the two countries. It is claimed that the link will help enhance the security, affordability and sustainability of energy supply to both countries.
The interconnector is made up of undersea cables running for over 200km, which would connect at either end to a converter station.These stations convert the forms of alternating current electricity used domestically in France and Britain into direct current electricity that can be used for transmission between the countries.
Morris Bray, IFA2 project director for National Grid, said: “Interconnectors have an increasingly important role to play in providing alternative sources of electricity for this country and keeping supplies safe, secure and affordable.”
In the UK, the location proposed for the converter station is at Daedalus Airfield, near Fareham. This is a brownfield site that has already been identified for development by Fareham Borough Council.
Interconnectors also require a connection to the national electricity grid. The IFA2 interconnector would connect to the electricity network at an existing National Grid site near Chilling, with subsea and underground cables running from Daedalus to Chilling.
