The main components of the project will include subsea and underground cables together with new converter stations in both the UK and France.
The Route
The subsea cable route will run from Eastney in the UK to Normandie in France.
The onshore element of the underground cable route will connect the subsea cable from its landing points on either side of the Channel t o new converter stations at Lovedean in the UK and Barnabos in France. Underground cables will also connect the new converter stations to nearby existing substations.
The Converter Stations
Converter stations are required in both the UK and France to convert electricity from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC).
AC is used in the UK’s and France’s electricity grids, while DC is used for sending electricity along the high-voltage subsea and underground cables because it is more efficient to transmit electricity as DC over large distances.