Belgium and Norway study feasibility of submarine power cable link

Belgian grid operator Elia and its Norwegian counterpart Statnett are investigating whether installing a submarine power cable between Belgium and Norway is possible. The cable would connect both countries’ high-voltage grids and integrate Norwegian offshore wind farms. A similar project was previously launched in Denmark.

The study is intended to analyze the “technical and economic feasibility” of such a cable. According to Elia, offshore wind from the North Sea and hybrid interconnectors are “a crucial link in Belgium’s future energy supply”.

‘Intense cooperation’

Norway, for instance, has far more space for wind and hydropower than Belgium and can, therefore, meet Belgian needs at particular times. The study is expected to be ready by the end of 2024 and has no impact on the realization of TritonLink, the planned undersea high-tension line between Belgium and Denmark.

Norway is also looking at similar projects with grid operators in Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. The Norwegian government will finally decide which projects will be realized.

“The energy transition in Europe will only be successful if there is intense cooperation between countries with an excess and a shortage of renewable production capacity,” says Catherine Vandenborre, the interim CEO of Elia Group, in the press release. Thanks to a hybrid interconnector with Norway, we can gain direct access to large wind farms in the far northern North Sea, providing greater supply security.”