Siemens wins order for first HVDC link between Great Britain and Denmark

Siemens has been awarded a contract to deliver two converter stations for the first high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) link between Great Britain and Denmark. Viking Link will enable the exchange of electricity up to 1,400 megawatts (MW) to provide increased power-supply reliability and security to consumers in both countries.

By allowing transmission to flow in both directions, Viking Link will support the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid. The interconnector is being jointly developed by National Grid Ventures (Great Britain) and Energinet (Denmark) via National Grid Viking Link Ltd. and Energinet Eltransmission A/S. Viking Link is scheduled to begin commercial operation at the end of 2023.

The order comprises a 1,400-MW converter system for DC voltage of ± 525 kilovolts (kV) using HVDC Plus technology. The two converter stations – one in Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire (Great Britain), the other in Revising in southern Jutland (Denmark) – will be linked by a 767-kilometer-long DC power cable passing through the North Sea.

Viking Link will be one of the world's longest DC electricity interconnectors. Siemens will be responsible for the overall system design, supply, installation, and commissioning of the converter stations.

"We're extremely pleased that, with every new interconnection, Siemens is advancing the development of an integrated European energy market. With Viking Link, we'll be working on another landmark HVDC project that is paving the way to a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy supply," said Tim Dawidowsky, CEO, EPC Projects at Siemens Gas and Power.

Both converter stations will use HVDC Plus voltage-sourced converters in a modular multilevel converter arrangement (VSC-MMC) that combine the advantages of HVDC transmission with extra benefits like AC voltage control, black-start capability, and other functions that improve the performance and network stability of both connected AC networks.