Getlink celebrates the second anniversary of electricity interconnector ElecLink and its strong commercial & technical success
Getlink celebrates the second anniversary of ElecLink, its unique electrical interconnector operating within an existing railway infrastructure – the Channel Tunnel – and connecting the national distribution networks in France (RTE) and the UK (National Grid), without impact on the marine environment.
With a capacity of 1 Gigawatt, the equivalent in electricity consumption of a city the size of Lyon or Birmingham, ElecLink has increased the electricity transfer capacity between the UK and France by 33%. This additional capacity was immediately taken up by the market, demonstrating the strong need covered by this new cross-Channel interconnection.
Beyond its commercial success, ElecLink embodies an operational and technical prowess with more than 11.5 TWh of electricity transported since entering service on 25 May 2022 and a remarkable availability rate at above 96%.
ElecLink has an exceptionally low environmental impact, using the existing infrastructure of the Fixed Link, with two cables running inside the Channel Tunnel, with no interaction with the marine ecosystem.
ElecLink has made a major contribution to balancing energy needs between France and the United Kingdom.
Yann Leriche, Getlink CEO said: “30 years ago, the fathers of the Channel Tunnel had already imagined electricity running through the Tunnel between France and the United Kingdom. In only 2 years ElecLink has proven to be a strong commercial success and, through its high reliability and low impact on the environment, a key asset in enhancing the UK and Europe’s energy security.”
About ElecLink
Electricity interconnector ElecLink comprises two high-voltage direct current cables with a capacity equivalent to 1GW via the Channel Tunnel, linking electric distribution grids between France (RTE) and the UK (National Grid), without interaction with marine ecosystems. With a capacity equivalent to the electricity supply of a city of 1.6 million inhabitants (Lyon or Birmingham), this interconnection enables electricity generated on either side of the Channel to flow between the two countries as and when required, thereby helping to secure energy supplies. This interconnector will increase the two-way electricity exchange capacity between France and the UK by 30% and optimise the distribution of installed generation capacity, including renewable energy sources, across the two countries.
***************************
About Getlink
Getlink SE (Euronext Paris: GET), through its subsidiary Eurotunnel, is the concession holder until 2086 for the Channel Tunnel infrastructure and operates Truck Shuttles and Passenger Shuttles (cars and coaches) between Folkestone (UK) and Calais (France). Since 31 December 2020 Eurotunnel has been developing the smart border to ensure that the Tunnel remains the fastest, most reliable, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to cross the Channel. Since it opened in 1994, close to 500 million people and more than 102 million vehicles have travelled through the Channel Tunnel. This unique land link, which carries a quarter of trade between the Continent and the United Kingdom, has become a vital link, reinforced by the ElecLink electricity interconnector installed in the Tunnel, which helps to balance energy needs between France and the United Kingdom. Getlink completes its sustainable mobility services with its rail freight subsidiary Europorte. Committed to "low-carbon" services that control their impact on the environment (through its activities, the Group avoids the equivalent of 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 per year), Getlink has made the place of people, nature and territories a central concern.
