According to the project’s official timeline, GridLink Interconnector plans to reach Final Investment Decision and commence construction in 2026, marking the start of physical works on the scheme’s onshore and offshore infrastructure. This construction start follows completion of key regulatory approvals and contractor selection steps and precedes planned commercial operation in 2030.
In October 2023, GridLink obtained Maritime Public Area Utilisation Rights in France, authorising the project to occupy and use areas of the public maritime domain for its subsea interconnector infrastructure.
In May 2023, the Environmental Authorisation for the GridLink project in France was granted, providing the main development consent for the French onshore and offshore works following the public inquiry.
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GridLink is a proposed high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea interconnector being developed to link the United Kingdom and France. The project is intended to increase cross‑border transfer capacity for energy trading, improve security of supply, and help integrate variable renewable generatio...
Owners
GridLink, GridLink HVDC GB–FR, GridLink Interconnector Ltd, NESO TEC PRO-000287
From September to October 2022, a formal public inquiry was held in France as part of the Environmental Authorisation procedure, allowing stakeholders to comment on the applications for environmental authorisation and maritime public area utilisation rights for GridLink.
In May 2022, the UK Marine Management Organisation approved GridLink’s marine licence application, granting consent for the offshore installation and operation of the interconnector cables and related marine activities.
On 19 January 2022, the French energy regulator CRE refused GridLink Interconnector Limited’s investment application for the France–UK GridLink interconnector, citing major uncertainties about the project’s benefits, exacerbated by the context of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
GridLink Interconnector ceased to be eligible for Project of Common Interest (PCI) status in 2021 due to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, ending the project’s period of PCI designation.
In July 2021, an application for Environmental Authorisation was submitted in France for the RTE grid connection works associated with GridLink, covering the HVAC connection and new substation infrastructure.
In May 2021, GridLink submitted an application in France for Environmental Authorisation, the principal development consent covering the French onshore and offshore components of the interconnector project.
At the same time in May 2021, GridLink submitted applications in France for Maritime Public Area Utilisation Rights, seeking permission to occupy and use the public maritime domain for the subsea cable and associated infrastructure.
In March 2021, Medway Council granted outline planning permission for the GridLink converter station and related onshore infrastructure at Kingsnorth, providing key development consent for the UK land‑based works.
On 17 March 2021, GridLink Interconnector Limited submitted an investment application to the French energy regulator CRE for its interconnector project, requesting regulated investment approval for a new electricity interconnection between France and the United Kingdom.
In October 2020, GridLink submitted an outline planning application to Medway Council for the UK onshore elements of the interconnector, including the Kingsnorth converter station and associated infrastructure.
Alongside the UK planning application in October 2020, GridLink submitted a marine licence application to the Marine Management Organisation for installation and operation of the subsea cables and associated marine works.
GridLink’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) and associated detailed environmental studies that were required ahead of permit and consent applications were effectively completed by August 2020. The project’s official public consultation webpage states that in the UK, “January to August 2020 – Environmental Impact Assessment – Preparation of the Environmental Assessment reports for marine works and onshore construction works; detailed environmental studies; definition of measures to avoid, reduce and mitigate environmental impacts,” followed by the submission of planning permission and marine licence applications in October 2020. This indicates that the core environmental study work was concluded by late August 2020 to support those applications.
From 28 August to 11 September 2020, GridLink conducted a public consultation in the UK ahead of planning permission and marine licence applications, launching a virtual public exhibition, hosting a live chat session, running an online public meeting on 11 September 2020, and providing physical information points and feedback mechanisms.
In March 2020, onshore geophysical and geotechnical surveys for GridLink were completed in both France and the UK, concluding topographic, geophysical and geotechnical investigations at the converter station sites and along the onshore cable routes.
Between November and December 2019, GridLink carried out a public consultation in France on environmental studies, including public meetings in Bourbourg and Loon‑Plage, thematic round‑table meetings, information points, and distribution of flyers to local communities.
From October to December 2019, GridLink conducted a public consultation in the UK on environmental studies for the project, including a Members Briefing at Medway Council and thematic meetings with local stakeholders.
By October 2019, GridLink had completed its offshore geophysical and geotechnical surveys along the proposed subsea cable route between Kingsnorth in the UK and Dunkerque in France, providing detailed seabed data to finalise routing and feed into environmental and engineering studies.
In July 2019, GridLink Interconnector Ltd started the procurement process for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts for the GridLink HVDC interconnector, formally opening tenders for major construction packages required to deliver the link between Kingsnorth in the UK and Dunkerque in France.
Around the second quarter of 2019, GridLink started its environmental impact studies for the interconnector, coordinating with third-party offshore power and telecommunications cable owners such as BritNed and NEMO ahead of marine survey and consenting activities.
In January 2019, the European Commission awarded GridLink a Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) development funding grant, providing up to €15.1 million of non-repayable support for development activities on the 1.4 GW France–UK GridLink interconnector.
In July 2018, GridLink Interconnector Ltd submitted an Investment Request to the French and UK regulators, CRE and Ofgem, seeking approval for the project to benefit from a regulated cap-and-floor revenue regime for the planned 1.4 GW subsea interconnector between France and the UK.
GridLink Interconnector was granted Project of Common Interest (PCI) status by the European Commission, with the award confirmed through Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/540 published in the Official Journal on 6 April 2018.
In March 2018, the prior public consultation (concertation préalable) on the GridLink interconnector in France was formally completed, concluding the CNDP‑supervised process on the project’s initial design and impacts.
In February 2018, GridLink initiated feasibility studies on the French side around Dunkerque, launching environmental baseline surveys (ecology, noise, pedology and fisheries) together with subsea and onshore investigations within Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque’s industrial area.
In January 2018, Ofgem published its Initial Project Assessment of GridLink’s participation in the GB interconnector cap-and-floor regime, marking a key early regulatory step towards securing a regulated revenue framework for the GB side of the 1.4 GW France–UK HVDC interconnector developed by GridLink Interconnector Ltd.
From 2017 GridLink Interconnector was listed as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Commission, recognising it as a key cross‑border infrastructure project linking the UK and France and enabling it to access EU support mechanisms.
GridLink Interconnector Ltd established its bilingual project website in November 2017 to provide public information on the interconnector, including project planning, consultation mechanisms and technical documentation, and to support ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Between 27 November 2017 and 12 January 2018, a preliminary public consultation (concertation préalable) on the GridLink project was carried out in France under the oversight of a guarantor appointed by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), including public meetings, thematic round tables, information points, and launch of the project website.
In May 2017, GridLink Interconnector Ltd and Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) signed the technical and financial proposal (PTF) covering the works required to create the French grid connection at Warande, thereby accepting RTE’s grid connection offer for the GridLink interconnector.
In March 2017, GridLink Interconnector Ltd began feasibility studies on the UK side of the project, including environmental baseline surveys (covering ecology, birds, fisheries and noise) and associated subsea and onshore investigations along the planned route near Kingsnorth.
In February 2017, GridLink held a preliminary scoping workshop in the UK with environmental authorities and interest groups as an early public consultation to identify key environmental issues and information needs ahead of permit applications.
In December 2016, Ofgem granted GridLink Interconnector Limited an electricity interconnector licence for the GridLink GB–France HVDC project, formally authorising it to develop and operate the privately financed interconnector under the UK regulatory regime.
In October 2016, GridLink Interconnector Ltd and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) signed a grid connection agreement for the GridLink interconnector at the Kingsnorth 400 kV substation in the UK, confirming acceptance of the UK grid connection offer.
Development of the GridLink Interconnector project began in early 2015, when the promoter started assessing France–UK interconnection opportunities, studying network constraints with RTE and National Grid and identifying more than 20 potential routes between 400 kV substations on the French and UK coasts.
In May 2015, GridLink Interconnector Ltd formally entered the French grid connection process by asking Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) to conduct a prospective study of potential 400 kV connection points in northern France for the GridLink interconnector project.
GridLink Interconnector Limited was established as the dedicated project company to develop, build and operate the GridLink Interconnector, and is identified as the owner and principal developer of the project. The company is wholly owned (100%) by iCON Infrastructure Partners III, an infrastructure investment fund acting on behalf of institutional investors.
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