The UK is poised to double the amount of energy it currently receives from France. The “FAB” (France – Alderney – Britain) Interconnector is a privately funded project which will involve placing two pairs of electric cables underwater and underground, providing a maximum transmission of 1.4GW between the UK and French electric grids. Construction of the interconnector is due to start in 2018, with the link expected to become operational in 2021.
The project will extend nearly 220km between the two high voltage grids at Menuel, France and Devon, England. and will include a converter station at each end to change the direct current which is transmitted through the link to alternating current used by the National Grid, and vice versa. This is the only part of the link which will be built above ground in the UK. The extra source of electricity will increase competition to the wholesale electricity market, and should help to keep consumers’ bills down.
Although the energy coming from France will inevitably be nuclear, the project is also designed to provide a route for large scale marine renewable energy (offshore turbines) to be constructed in the seas around. The FAB Project would then provide a way to deliver this renewable energy to consumers, helping lower their carbon footprints.
I had the privilege of meeting Chris Jenner, (not the Kardashian, although probably of equal status in the offshore wind industry) the FAB Project Development Manager in Transmission Investment’s London office.
Jenner says the biggest challenge thus far has been “finding a route for the cables in the UK”. Unlike the industrial area of the site in France, the UK connection tracks through beautiful Devon scenery. When I asked him how this resolved this, he humbly said “lots of lots of talking” which in reality, translates to many hours working closely with anyone who may be affected. Proposals were developed to avoid environmentally sensitive areas with the minimum of inconvenience to local people, and land will be fully reinstated along the route once the cables have been laid.
FAB has been recognized as a “Project of Common Interest” by the European Union following support received from both the French and UK governments. The FAB project has received funding from the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility. Brexit will not derail the project, as there are already currently 4 existing interconnectors feeding energy to the UK from France, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland so the additional FAB interconnector will continue “business as usual”.
