Norway TSO Statnett confirms Oct. 1 start for NSL link to UK at reduced 700 MW

The 1.4 GW North Sea Link power interconnector from Norway to Great Britain is to start operations as scheduled on Oct. 1, Norwegian grid operator Statnett said Sept. 23 after market close.

The maximum capacity offered to the market will initially be 700 MW for Norwegian operational security reasons, it said in an updated market message.

"Restrictions will be evaluated during the trial operations period," a Statnett spokesperson told S&P Global Platts in an email.

"Maximum offered capacity will be announced in updated market messages, but we can offer no details as of yet to when this might happen," it added.

The first auction for day-ahead delivery will run Sept. 30 at 10:50 am CEST (09:50 am BST), the note said.

Capacity will be available from 09:00 CEST on Oct. 1.

UK grid operator National Grid said Sept. 23 at the NSL launch event that flows would initially be curtailed at 700 MW for up to four weeks.

A note published in July by Statnett, pegged the restricted trial operations period for the whole of the fourth quarter.

Grid data by Elexon showed test flows Sept. 23 ramping up from zero to the full 1.4 GW capacity on the subsea cable from South Norway to Blyth in Northumberland.

A similar 1.4 GW cable from South Norway to Germany started commercial operations in December 2020 with capacity also limited to 700 MW for initial trial operations.

Rising Norwegian exports are to lift Nordic power prices, but UK power remains Europe's premium market.

A fire on Sept. 15 at a substation in Kent, where the 2 GW IFA 1 cable from France gets integrated into the UK grid further inflated UK spot power prices with the IFA 1 interconnector unavailable to Oct. 23 and operating only at half capacity to late March 2022.