NordLink is a subsea 1,400 megawatt (MW) HVDC power cable between Norway and Germany, opened in May 2021. The over 500 km long cable operates at a voltage of 500 kV DC. The cable enables Deutsche Bahn to buy the full production from Mågeli kraftverk in Ullensvang, thereby helping the German railways to become climate-neutral by 2040.

Construction

It is estimated to cost €1.5–2 billion, which was financed in 2015 when Statnett decided to realize the project. The interconnector was installed between a new substation at Ertsmyra (near Tonstad) in Norway and Wilster substation in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. The connection was expected to be completed in 2020. When testing in September 2020, it accidentally imported the full 1,400 MW into Norway for almost a minute, causing cascading grid effects such as a 0.5 Hz frequency change across the Nordic synchronous area. The opening ceremony took place on 27 May 2021.

Operation

In November 2021, amid high demand for electricity in Europe, the increased exports from Norway to continental Europe caused conflict with the grid operator of Sweden, which cut export capacity in half, causing the Norwegian operator to do the same for exports to Sweden (on which Denmark and Finland also rely). Grid constraints inside Norway and Germany sometimes restrict NordLink capacity to less than maximum.

Ownership

The Norwegian state-owned company and transmission system operator, Statnett SF, owns 50% of the project, whilst the Dutch transmission system operator TenneT TSO and the German state-owned bank KfW own the other half. A cable between Norway and Germany is listed in the EU's projects of common interest (PCI).

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