NordLink

NordLink is a subsea 1,400 megawatt (MW) HVDC power cable between Norway and Germany, opened in May 2021.^[2] The 625 kilometres (388 mi) long line operates at a voltage of 500 kV DC.^[3]^[4] It consists of 54 kilometres long land cable in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, a 516 kilometres long submarine cable between Germany and Norway and a 53 kilometres long overhead line with 140 towers in Norway.

CountryNorway
Germany

FromErtsmyra, Norway

Passes throughNorth Sea

ToBüsum shore and Wilster substation, Germany^[1]

Quick facts NORD.LINK, Location ...

NORD.LINK
Location of NORD.LINK
Location
Country	Norway Germany
From	Ertsmyra, Norway
Passes through	North Sea
To	Büsum shore and Wilster substation, Germany^[1]
Ownership information
Partners	Statnett TenneT TSO / KfW
Construction information
Commissioned	May 2021
Technical information
Type	submarine cable, land cable, overhead line
Type of current	HVDC
Total length	625 km (388 mi)
Power rating	1,400 MW
DC voltage	500 kV
No. of poles	2
No. of circuits	1

Close

Construction

It is estimated to cost €1.5–2 billion,^[5] which was financed in 2015^[6] when Statnett decided to realize the project.^[7] The interconnector was installed between a new substation at Ertsmyra (near Tonstad) in Norway and Wilster substation^[1] in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.^[8] The connection was expected to be completed in 2020.^[6]^[9] When testing in September 2020, it accidentally imported the full 1,400 MW into Norway for almost a minute, causing cascading grid effects such as a 0.5 Hz frequency change across the Nordic synchronous area.^[10]^[11] The opening ceremony took place on 27 May 2021.^[2]

Operation

In November 2021, amid high demand for electricity in Europe, the increased exports from Norway to continental Europe caused conflict with the grid operator of Sweden, which cut export capacity in half, causing the Norwegian operator to do the same for exports to Sweden (on which Denmark and Finland also rely).^[12] Grid constraints inside Norway and Germany sometimes restrict NordLink capacity to less than maximum.^[13]^[14]

Ownership

The Norwegian state-owned company and transmission system operator, Statnett SF, owns 50% of the project, whilst the Dutch transmission system operator TenneT TSO and the German state-owned bank KfW own the other half. A cable between Norway and Germany is listed in the EU's projects of common interest (PCI).^[3]^[15]

Sites

More information Site, Coordinates ...

Site	Coordinates
Tonstad HVDC converter station	58°40′06″N 6°45′15″E
Djupvik Cable Terminal	58°15′59″N 6°40′47″E
Wilster HVDC converter station	53°55′10″N 9°20′40″E