IFA-2 (Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2) is a subsea electrical interconnector, running beneath the English Channel between France and the United Kingdom.[2] The 204-kilometre (127 mi) high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable operates at +/-320kV with the capacity to transmit 1,000 MW of power.[3] IFA-2 is the second interconnector built between France and Great Britain, after IFA (HVDC Cross-Channel) link.
| IFA-2 | |
|---|---|
 Map of IFA-2 | |
| Location | |
| Country | France, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 50°49′5″N 1°11′38″W / 50.81806°N 1.19389°W 49°6′38.9″N 0°15′43.2″W / 49.110806°N 0.262000°W |
| General direction | North–South |
| From | Tourbe, France |
| Passes through | English Channel |
| To | Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
| Ownership information | |
| Partners | National Grid plc Réseau de Transport d'Électricité |
| Construction information | |
| Manufacturer of conductor/cable | Prysmian Group |
| Manufacturer of substations | ABB Group |
| Construction started | 2017 |
| Commissioned | January 2021[1] |
| Technical information | |
| Type | submarine cable |
| Type of current | HVDC |
| Total length | 204 km (127 mi) |
| Power rating | 1,000 MW |
| DC voltage | ±320 kV |
| No. of poles | 2 |
| No. of circuits | 1 |
Route
editThe cable connects to the French grid at the Tourbe 400 kV substation. From there, a 300 m (1,000 ft) long high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) underground cable runs to the converter station nearby. A 24 km (15-mile) long underground HVDC cable runs from the converter station to the landfall point east of Merville-Franceville-Plage, near Caen in Normandy.
On the British side, the landfall point is located at Monks Hill Beach, at the southern end of Solent Airfield, near Portsmouth. The converter station is located to the north east of Solent Airfield. From there, a 2 km (1.2-mile) long HVAC cable runs underwater to the point of connection to the grid at Chilling 400 kV substation, near Warsash, Hampshire.[2]
Project history
editThe project was developed by IFA2 SAS, a joint venture between the UK's National Grid and RTE of France.[3]
In 2015, the European Commission identified IFA-2 as one of key energy infrastructure projects.[2]
In 2017, contract for IFA-2 was awarded to the Prysmian Group and ABB. [3]
In October 2019, the project completed the external construction of the UK convertor building. [5] Cable laying works in the eastern Solent took place at the end of 2019.[4]
The cable was energised for the first time on 15 October 2020, in preparation for testing before going live.[6] It was placed into live operation on 22 January 2021 with an opening flow from France to the UK.[1] The connector tripped in the morning of January 29, causing a loss of 900 MW, and grid batteries compensated some of the loss to keep frequency drop at 0.25 Hz.[7]
See also
edit
- ElecLink, a 1,000 MW UK-France interconnector through the Channel Tunnel, completed in 2021
References
edit- ^ a b "Cross-channel power link for 1 m British homes opens". The Guardian. 22 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "IFA2 – Interconnextion France Angleterre". National Grid. Archived from the original on 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
- ^ a b c "Bridging UK and France with Electricity". Prysmian Group. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
- ^ a b Sherwood, G.A.F (29 October 2019). "IFA2 CABLE LAY AND BURIAL CAMPAIGN – EASTERN SOLENT". national archives. royal navy. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "IFA2 'Tops out' at Daedalus Airfield". ifa2interconnector.com. IFA2. 3 Oct 2020. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "National Grid's new undersea power cable between Britain and France energises race to net zero". IFA-2. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Dynamic Containment assets jump into action following French interconnector trip". Current. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021.