Viking Link, a joint venture between the National Grid and Energinet, has won the Royal Academy of Engineering Major Project Award for Sustainability 2024 for an electricity interconnector that enables the UK and Denmark to share renewable energy for the first time. At 475 miles (765 km), Viking Link is the longest land and subsea interconnector in the world and this record-breaking link will play a vital role in helping both countries to decarbonise and meet ambitious net zero targets.
The annual Major Project Award for Sustainability recognises a team that has played a critical role in a major engineering project that has had a substantial impact on society and sustainability. The Viking Link team will receive their award at the Academy Awards Dinner in London on Tuesday 9 July.
The Viking Link team receiving this award is:
- Matthew Burr, Project Manager
- David Monkhouse, Design Assurance Manager
- Erinn Sapsford, Operational Readiness Manager
Denmark’s power generation is primarily from wind power, which complements the UK’s own renewable energy mix. When the UK’s demand is low, Viking Link distributes the power across Denmark, and when there is a surplus of Danish wind power and high UK demand, renewable power can be quickly and flexibly imported to the UK via the high voltage direct current interconnector. This ensures secure, affordable and sustainable electricity for both countries.
Viking Link is expected to save approximately 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in its first year, the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road. It can transfer enough electricity to power up to 2.5 million UK homes, saving over £500 million in cumulative savings and £5.2 billion in broader benefits for UK consumers over the next decade.
Phil Sandy, Director of Operations – Interconnectors, UJVs at National Grid, said:
“Sustainability is central to National Grid’s purpose as a business and is right at the heart of why we built Viking Link with our partners at Energinet. We’re delighted to have this recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering with their prestigious Major Project Award for Sustainability 2024. By enabling fast and flexible sharing of renewable energy between the UK and Denmark, we’re delivering a cleaner, cheaper and more secure power system for our customers.”
Viking Link Valve Hall. Image credit: Siemens Energy
Giles Dixon, CEO of WindEurope, said:
“The wind is always blowing somewhere in Europe, so interconnectors are essential to get the electricity produced from wind turbines to where it’s needed by consumers. As the energy mix in both the UK and the EU continues to move towards renewables, we will need more interconnectors. Viking Link is a groundbreaking feat of engineering that opens up immediate opportunities for the shared use of green energy across geographical borders and provides a blueprint for future projects.”
Notes for editors
- Viking Link is a £1.7 billion project consisting of a 1.400 GW bipole HVDC electricity interconnector connecting the UK and Denmark’s electricity systems.
- The project involved the construction of converter sites and installation of onshore and offshore cables in each country, which were then connected at the substations.
- Viking Link is approximately 765 km long and allows electricity to be exchanged between Great Britain and Denmark.
- The construction at both converter stations commenced in 2020 and the laying of the sea cables followed in May 2021, with a total of 1,530km of HVDC cable manufactured.
- The record breaking project was delivered ahead of time and within budget, despite challenges that included the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict.
- Viking Link moved into commercial operations in December 2023.
The Major Project Award for Sustainability is for a team that has played a critical role in a major engineering project that has had a substantial impact on society and sustainability. It recognises the contribution of a team of up to five engineers, based in the UK, who have delivered a major engineering project that has had a substantial impact on society and sustainability. The project can come from any branch of engineering. Previous winners include Buro Happold, the global practice of engineers, designers and advisers, for providing multi-disciplinary engineering solutions for the restoration of the Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station.
Annual Awards Dinner 2024. This year’s Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Dinner takes place on 9 July. The event will also celebrate the winners of other awards and prizes including the Princess Royal Silver Medals and the Young Engineer of the Year Award - https://raeng.org.uk/events/2024/july/awards-dinner-2024.
The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
For more information please contact: Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering; Tel. 020 7766 0636; email: [email protected].