• New report sets out ways to develop new international subsea cables which will connect our offshore wind farms directly to other countries as well as the UK, to cut energy bills for consumers and strengthen our energy security.
• Multi-purpose interconnectors could deliver more than £13 billion in economic benefits to Great Britain and the connected countries.
• This innovative technology will add vital flexibility into our energy system - we have an opportunity to kickstart its successful development in UK waters now so that we can scale it up in the 2030s.

Linking UK offshore wind farms directly to multiple neighbouring European countries through high-voltage subsea interconnector cables could cut energy bills for UK consumers, according to a new report published today by RenewableUK and National Grid.

Multi-purpose interconnectors (MPIs) are a new type of offshore infrastructure which has not yet been built in UK waters. Linking offshore wind farms to the UK and neighbouring countries using MPIs would reduce the amount of infrastructure needed to transport electricity, reducing impacts on coastal communities and the environment. RenewableUK and National Grid created a taskforce to produce a series of recommendations to kickstart the use of this innovative technology in UK waters, bringing together nineteen industry stakeholders, including governmental and regulatory bodies. Their findings have been published in today’s report, entitled Stronger Together.

The report identifies several blockers and proposed solutions to overcome the challenges of building offshore wind and interconnectors together. It states that there is an economic prize to be seized, as just three MPIs could deliver more than £13 billion in economic benefits to Great Britain and the connected countries. The report recommends:

Establishing a pilot scheme to agree how offshore wind farms and multi-purpose interconnectors can work best together

Creating policies which support investment in this innovative technology and provide clear guidance on network charges to give developers clarity on costs

Enabling revenue certainty for wind developers by establishing an investable regime for MPIs.

The UK is already linked to neighbouring countries through ten interconnectors which strengthen our energy security by enabling us to import low-cost power when demand is high, whilst also creating an opportunity to sell power to other European countries during periods of surplus generation in UK waters. But none of these traditional interconnectors is linked directly to a UK offshore wind farm, meaning the full potential of offshore wind as a shared international resource remains untapped.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said:
“We’re excited about the potential of multi-purpose interconnectors to transform the way electricity is transported between countries by linking them directly to our world-class offshore wind farms, which will build more flexibility into our energy system and strengthen our energy security even further.

“The measures set out in this report would enable greater quantities of clean power to flow more efficiently and more easily from where it’s being generated to where it’s needed. This extra flexibility will enable us to make the most of our natural resources, earning money for UK plc and driving energy bills down.

“The industry now needs to work with National Grid, the Government, Ofgem, The Crown Estate, and Crown Estate Scotland to establish a clear process which sets out how UK offshore wind developers can link their projects to multi-purpose interconnectors in practice, and the costs they would have to pay, as well as determining the business case for investing in this innovative technology. Setting up a pilot scheme is the next step towards achieving this, which could begin as early as this year”.

National Grid, Managing Director of Interconnectors, Rebecca Sedler said:
“With over 40 years of experience in constructing, developing and operating interconnectors, National Grid is the world leader. Developing coordinated assets builds on this experience and would benefit consumers, reduce costs, and minimise the impact on marine ecosystems and coastal communities. As we look to the future, we’re innovating in several ways, including in developing these new multi-purpose interconnectors. Today’s report makes clear recommendations which will benefit consumers. We want to see action.”