UK National Grid to Invest £400 Million to Extend Life of 2 GW England-France Interconnector

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 29, UK National Grid confirmed an investment plan of up to £400 million to implement life-extension upgrades on the IFA high-voltage direct-current submarine transmission system between the UK and France, with the goal of ensuring that this 2 GW cross-border transmission link remains in operation until at least 2050. The project is jointly owned by UK National Grid and French transmission system operator RTE, and the investment plan was officially announced on the 40th anniversary of IFA's commissioning.

The upgrade scope covers key technical equipment, buildings, and supporting facilities at the interconnector project sites. UK National Grid confirmed that the up-to-£400 million figure represents its own share of the investment, while RTE's investment amount has not been disclosed. The official project announcement did not list a specific equipment replacement inventory, engineering contractors, or a construction timetable, nor did it disclose the amounts of equipment procurement and construction contracts.

UK National Grid has incorporated the IFA life-extension project into its five-year investment program through March 2031, during which the group plans total investment of at least £70 billion. The existing IFA facilities will continue to handle bidirectional power exchange between the UK and France, and the upgrade works aim to extend the operating life of the existing transmission system rather than build a new cross-border transmission link.