Prysmian completes world’s longest subsea interconnector

Prysmian has completed the installation of the Viking Link Interconnector, an HVDC submarine transmission line connecting Denmark to the United Kingdom.

The Italy-based cable manufacturer said the new transmission line will begin operating by the end of this year and will operate at 525 kV DC.

The project is a joint venture between the grid operators of the two countries – National Grid and Energinet. Its cables cross through four exclusive economic zones in Dutch, German, Danish and British waters.

“Each territory has its own legislation and stakeholders. The cabling crosses more than 40 other lines, such as gas and electricity connections,” Prysmian said in a statement.

“The contract included the turn-key design, manufacture and installation of the world’s longest interconnector covering all the 1,250 km of cables for the submarine route and approximately 135 km of land cables on the UK side, for the four lots awarded to Prysmian out of a total of five lots,” it said.

Viking Link is National Grid’s sixth interconnector. The company already has five operational transmission lines connecting the United Kingdom with France (IFA and IFA2), the Netherlands (BritNed), Belgium (Nemo Link), and Norway (North Sea Link).