Netherlands and UK expand energy cooperation with new electricity connection

By Aafke Eppinga

During the North Sea Summit in Ostend, Minister Rob Jetten and his British counterpart Grant Shapps announced the arrival of a new electricity connection between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Unique to this new connection is that a Dutch wind farm will also be directly connected to it, according to this press release from the central government.

This interconnection, christened “LionLink,” will be about 250 km long and is intended to increase the reduction of CO₂ emissions, interconnection with foreign countries, and security of supply. Linking offshore wind farms via the first cross-border direct current cable of this size is another step toward an integrated offshore grid in the North Sea.

LionLink is a multifunctional connection designed to connect a 2 GW Dutch offshore wind farm to both countries undersea. This connection allows for more efficient use of infrastructure. At the same time, the impact on coastal communities is reduced because fewer separate connections and more limited infrastructure are required.

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The EU and the UK have a joint offshore wind energy target of about 120 GW by 2030 in the North Sea. With this, offshore wind farms make an essential contribution to energy security and climate goals. The Netherlands will have realized about 21 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and is investigating whether 50 GW by 2040 and 72 GW by 2050 are feasible given the physical space, ecological impact, and electricity demand. The UK aims to produce up to 50 GW of offshore wind power by 2030.

Minister Rob Jetten: “The North Sea will become the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe. Close cooperation in offshore wind energy and interconnections between North Sea countries are essential for this. LionLink can supply almost 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, enough to power 2 million households. This new connection also ensures greater energy security and energy independence in Europe. For example, if there is a surplus of wind energy, it can immediately be shared with countries with a power shortage, and vice versa.”