Electricity connection between Germany and Great Britain: Construction is progressing!

The construction of the overseas electricity connection between Wilhelmshaven and Great Britain, known as “NeuConnect”, is progressing quickly. How NWZonline Reportedly, a 56 kilometer long section has already been successfully laid beneath the seabed. This first phase was completed in November 2024. The construction of the entire route covers a length of 725 kilometers, consisting of two cables, and the investment costs amount to approximately 2.8 billion euros. The company NeuConnect, with locations in London and Wilhelmshaven, is carrying out the project.

The power line is intended to connect the electricity markets of Germany and Great Britain. A key component is a converter that will be installed at Fedderwarden; this converts direct current into alternating current and vice versa. The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of this infrastructure took place in May 2024. Special ships like the “Prysmian” have already been hired to bury the cables in the seabed, with the landing taking place in Germany at the Hooksiel outer harbor.

Progress and future plans

The route runs over a 12 kilometer long section on land in Germany, for which the preparatory work has largely been completed. This includes explosive ordnance detection and the search for existing lines. This year, the Dutch company DeRomein will begin construction of the land section. The underground cables included in the project cross the properties of 25 tenants and owners. NeuConnect has already held an information event in November 2024 and is planning further preliminary discussions before construction begins.

Additionally reported daily news that the connection is scheduled to go into operation in 2028. This electricity connection is expected to be able to supply energy to 1.5 million households. It extends over 720 kilometers, of which around 193 kilometers are on German territory, and is laid in the North Sea as a submarine cable and on the German side as an underground cable. The connection has a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts and enables bi-directional power transmission, which will see surplus wind power exported from Germany to the UK.

Creating this link is particularly relevant as the UK is currently considered a net importer of electricity. The potential capacity of British offshore wind farms could help support Germany's electricity supply. German wind power could flow to the UK to ease the burden on German electricity customers, according to energy expert Harald Bradke, with a long-term prediction that Germany may move from an electricity exporting country to an electricity importing country.