Siemens to increase power transmission capacity between England and Scotland with highest voltage submarine interconnector ever

In a consortium with the Milan-based leading cable company Prysmian, Siemens Energy is to build a submarine DC interconnector in the Irish Sea. The grid connection between Scotland and England, designed as a low-loss high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission system, will have a rating of 2200 megawatts (MW). It will be the first submarine interconnector ever using a DC voltage level of 600 kilovolts (kV). The highest voltage level used to date was 500 kV. The Western HVDC Link project will provide much needed additional power transmission capacity on Britain's transmission system as the UK heads toward a low carbon economy. The power link will help to balance supply and demand within the grid sections in light of the continued growth of remote and fluctuating renewables.