World’s largest underwater power cable connecting two major countries is officially complete — here’s how many homes it could power

Erin Feiger

TCD
Wed, December 20, 2023 

While much of what lurks under the water’s surface remains a mystery, one new underwater inhabitant is well known and comes with a big announcement.

Testing and installation of The Viking Link Interconnector, the world’s longest onshore and subsea power cable, is complete. The project is a joint venture between the U.K.’s National Grid and Denmark’s Energinet and was designed and installed by Italy-based contractor Prysmian Group, according to Electrek.

​​Prysmian Group manufactured the cables at its factory in Arco Felice, near Naples, and they were laid by the vessels Cable Enterprise and Leonardo da Vinci, in the latter’s first offshore campaign.

Reporting by reNews.Biz stated that the system is designed to increase access to renewable and sustainable energy sources for more than 1.4 million homes.

The Viking Link website says the cable is approximately 475 miles long and will allow for the exchange of electricity between the U.K. and Denmark. Once online, the website claims: “The interconnector will enable the more effective use of renewable energy, access to sustainable electricity generation and improved security of electricity supplies. It will benefit the socio economy of both countries.”

The switch away from polluting dirty energy sources to clean, renewable energy is crucial in the fight to stop the dangerous overheating of our planet. Projects like this go a long way in the global effort to reach net-zero energy.

The interconnector is due to come online later this year, and its creators are understandably proud.

“This important milestone confirms Prysmian’s reliability in executing complex turn-key projects,” Hakan Ozmen, executive vice president of Projects BU, Prysmian Group, said in a press release, adding, “We are committed to supporting countries in achieving their sustainability goals and we are proud of our long-standing relationship with National Grid and Energinet that will help the U.K. and Denmark to significantly reduce their carbon emissions.”

In National Grid’s announcement of the completion, Rebecca Sedler, Managing Director for Interconnectors, said: “This is a fantastic moment for the U.K. and Denmark, and a key milestone for the world record project, as we join the electricity networks of our two countries for the first time … Interconnectors bring huge benefits to the U.K., acting as clean energy super-highways, allowing us to move surplus green energy from where it is generated to where it is needed the most.”