As governments tighten environmental regulations and customers demand greener operations, achieving net-zero emissions is no longer a distant goal—it’s a...
Read More- Energy Insights
Another Delay For The Return Of The IFA1 Interconnector
-
Tom Coyne
Discover More
‘Zombie’ Projects Scrapped as Ofgem Clears Way for Renewables
Ofgem has announced a major overhaul of how projects access the electricity grid. This move aims to fast-track clean energy...
Read More
Lights Out For Rebel Energy: Ofgem Races To Protect Customers
Energy Shake-Up As 90,000 Customers Were Left In Limbo In a stark reminder of the ongoing volatility in the UK...
Read More
Today the National Grid has given an update on the IFA1 interconnector in Kent. The interconnector, which connects a subsea cable transporting electricity from France to Britain, suffered a fire in September, reducing the IFA1 interconnector’s capacity by 50%.
The National Grid has confirmed that they will reduce the planned outage time of the interconnector three days earlier than previously expected. Whilst the interconnector was originally meant to return to operationalisation on 23rd October, the National Grid confirmed, “We have been able to reduce the outage time of 1,000 MW of capacity at the IFA interconnector so that it will come back to service on 20th October, ahead of the 23rd October date we had previously published.”
However, this positive news has been dampened by a new forecast from the National Grid that estimates that a return to full capacity will take almost a year longer than expected, with the date being pushed back from October 2022 until May 2023.
We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and ensuring we are able to support the security of supply”.
Whilst news of an early return to operations for some of the interconnector will be welcomed amid a growing energy crisis, consumers and businesses alike will be less pleased to hear about the delayed return to full capacity.