ElecLink Limited

ElecLink Limited is a UK-registered private company that owns and operates a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity interconnector between Great Britain and France via the Channel Tunnel. Founded in London in 2011, it holds an electricity interconnector licence under the Electricity Act 1989 and has been certified by Ofgem and CRE as a Transmission System Operator. ElecLink is a wholly owned subsidiary of GET Elec Limited, itself owned by Getlink SE, which also holds the Channel Tunnel concession. The merchant interconnector is entirely privately financed, with ElecLink bearing 100% of investment risk without consumer underwriting or a regulated cap-and-floor regime, and operates under a 25‑year exemption regime agreed by Ofgem, CRE and the European Commission. The ElecLink interconnector uses a ±320 kV VSC-based symmetrical monopole HVDC scheme with XLPE land cables, delivering 1,000 MW of transfer capacity. The 51 km DC cable runs through the Channel Tunnel between converter stations at Folkestone in the UK and Peuplingues in France, linking to National Grid’s Sellindge 400 kV substation and RTE’s Les Mandarins 400 kV substation via additional underground AC cables. ElecLink sells cross-border capacity to market participants such as utilities, traders and grid users through long-term, day‑ahead and intraday products, largely via explicit auctions run by the Joint Allocation Office, with nominations managed on dedicated platforms. Since commencing commercial operations in May 2022, the interconnector has supported market integration, security of supply, cross‑border balancing and greater utilisation of renewable generation, while offering potential services such as frequency response and black start. Its design leverages existing tunnel infrastructure to minimise visual and marine environmental impact, contributing to decarbonisation objectives in both the British and French power systems.