The world’s largest multi-use electricity power line will be built under the North Sea. The new LionLink will connect the UK and the Netherlands with offshore wind farms, the UK and Dutch governments have announced.

The cross-border electricity line will be only the second of its kind in the world, with the first having been built by Germany and Denmark. However, it will be able to carry more than 4 times the amount of electricity as its predecessor – making it the largest of its kind in terms of capacity anywhere in the world.

The new LionLink will carry 1.8GW of electricity, compared to Germany and Denmark’s Kassø-Frøslev (Kriegers Flag), which carries 0.4GW.  It will be developed by National Grid Ventures and TenneT and will be operational by the early 2030s.

While normal interconnectors only connect 2 countries, the multipurpose LionLink will join the UK and Netherlands to each other as well as simultaneously with offshore wind farms at the heart of the North Sea.

The announcement was made ahead of the North Sea Summit where leaders and ministers from nine European countries signed a declaration in Belgium on 24 April 2023 to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind power in the North Sea. The joint goal is to more than quadruple current production to 120 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and to at least 300 GW by 2050.

Energy resilience and cheaper bills 

Energy and climate think tank, the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) welcomed the news about LionLink. “The North Sea oil and gas basin is in terminal decline, so unless the deployment of renewables as well as electric heat pumps and the basics like home insulation is sped up, we’ll become more dependent on foreign gas imports,” said Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the ECIU to the BBC.

“Under current government policy, these imports are set to increase, but cooperation like this should bring greater energy resilience and cheaper bills for households. The UK could get on track to being a net energy exporter,” she added.

“This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe,” Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement.