In the presence of Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Dr. Robert Habeck, NeuConnect celebrated the start of the main construction phase of the first German-British interconnector together with more than 80 guests from politics and business.
Steffen Boche from E-Bridge Consulting has been advising NeuConnect on regulatory issues for many years. The challenge lay in particular in the lack of regulatory provisions for independent operators of cross-border electricity interconnectors, which were not included in the EnWG until 2021 with the new Section 3a.
News report of the Tagesschau (German language): https://lnkd.in/e24Zr-cJ
The construction of the new converter station in Wilhelmshaven is an important milestone in the realization of the privately financed German-British power interconnector, which will cost almost 3 billion euros and is scheduled to go into operation in 2028. The 725 km long undersea cable with a capacity of up to 1.4 GW of electricity will connect the converter stations on the Isle of Grain in Kent with the converter station in Wilhelmshaven. The construction is being led by global investors Meridiam, ACP | Allianz Capital Partners (on behalf of the Allianz companies), Kansai Electric Power Co, Ltd and TEPCO.
E-Bridge is proud to be able to contribute to the energy transition by supporting NeuConnect in the construction of one of the world’s largest energy interconnectors.
Other special guests and speakers included the Minister of Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony, Olaf Lies, Greg Hands, British Minister of State for Trade Policy, and Carsten Feist, Mayor of the City of Wilhelmshaven. In her welcoming speech, Julia Prescot, Chairwoman of NeuConnect, explained the importance of the project in an international context, for an accelerated energy transition and for the Wilhelmshaven region. Dr. Robert Habeck emphasized the importance of cooperation in Europe for the success of the energy transition. Greg Hands emphasizes the crucial role of interconnectors in strengthening energy security and creating additional infrastructure.
