Interconnectors
Interconnectors are high-voltage cables that let Great Britain import and export electricity with neighbouring countries. A positive figure means Great Britain is importing; a negative figure means it is exporting.
- Data as of
- Loading live data…
- Net flow right now
- Loading live data…
- Share of demand
Right now, by country
Loading live data…
Bars run right for imports and left for exports, from the centre line. The grey track is the combined capacity of every cable to that country, so you can see how hard each link is running. Select a bar for each cable's figures.
Exact figures
| Country | GW | % of demand |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | - | - |
| Denmark | - | - |
| France | - | - |
| Ireland | - | - |
| Netherlands | - | - |
| Norway | - | - |
The cables
Great Britain has ten interconnector cables in service - nine subsea and one through the Channel Tunnel - totalling around 10.3GW of capacity. Three go to France and three to the island of Ireland.
| Cable | Connects to | Capacity | Commissioned | Approximate route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFA | France | 2,000MW | 1986 | Sellindge, Kent ↔ Bonningues‑lès‑Calais |
| Moyle | Northern Ireland | 500MW | 2001 | Auchencrosh, Scotland ↔ Ballycronan More, Co. Antrim |
| BritNed | Netherlands | 1,000MW | 2011 | Isle of Grain, Kent ↔ Maasvlakte, Rotterdam |
| East–West (EWIC) | Ireland | 500MW | 2012 | Barkby Beach, Wales ↔ Rush, Co. Dublin |
| Nemo Link | Belgium | 1,000MW | 2019 | Richborough, Kent ↔ Herdersbrug, Zeebrugge |
| IFA2 | France | 1,000MW | 2021 | Fareham, Hampshire ↔ Tourbe, near Caen, Normandy |
| North Sea Link | Norway | 1,400MW | 2021 | Blyth, Northumberland ↔ Kvilldal |
| ElecLink | France | 1,000MW | 2022 | Folkestone ↔ Sangatte, via the Channel Tunnel |
| Viking Link | Denmark | 1,400MW | 2023 | Bicker Fen, Lincolnshire ↔ Revsing, Jutland |
| Greenlink | Ireland | 500MW | 2024 | Pembroke, Wales ↔ Great Island, Co. Wexford |
Capacities and commissioning years are sourced from each cable's Wikipedia article, cross-checked against operator announcements (TenneT/National Grid for BritNed, Elia/National Grid for Nemo Link, Getlink for ElecLink, EirGrid for EWIC and Greenlink). Figures are nominal transfer capacity, not always-available capacity.
Where the cables run
A real-geography map (actual coastlines, not freehand shapes), with each cable drawn between its two real landing points. It is still not a navigational chart - the curve of each line is for legibility, not the true undersea route, which typically follows a straighter or cable-specific path.
Loading live flows…
History
Interconnectors net flow
Net flow as a share of demand
Net interconnector flow (positive = importing, negative = exporting) and that flow as a share of GB demand, over the selected range.
Imports and exports by country
Who Great Britain has been trading power with over the chosen period, from the same per-cable readings as the charts above.
Net flow over time
Loading…
Energy imported and exported
Loading…
About interconnectors
Great Britain is connected to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Ireland by subsea interconnector cables. These let the country import cheaper or cleaner power when available abroad, and export surplus renewable generation when domestic supply exceeds demand.
From one cable to a continental network
The first Anglo-French interconnector, IFA, was completed in 1986 with a capacity of 2GW, built partly to let Britain draw on France's large nuclear fleet. It stood as the only significant interconnector for over two decades.
Expansion accelerated from the 2010s onward as European electricity markets became more integrated and Britain's own renewable fleet grew large enough that exporting surplus power became commercially attractive. BritNed to the Netherlands opened in 2011, followed by Nemo Link to Belgium (2019), the North Sea Link to Norway (2021) - at the time the world's longest subsea interconnector - and Viking Link to Denmark (2023), the world's longest land-and-subsea interconnector.
Ireland now has three separate links: the Moyle interconnector to Scotland (opened 2001), the East–West Interconnector to Wales (opened 2012), and the newest, Greenlink, also to Wales (opened 2024). France now has three links too: IFA2 (2021), from Hampshire to Normandy, and ElecLink (2022), which runs through the Channel Tunnel rather than under the open sea.
Why flows reverse so often
Interconnector flows are driven by relative wholesale prices either side of the cable, which in turn depend on each country's generation mix at that moment. When Britain is windy and France's nuclear output is steady, Britain often exports; when Britain is calm and Norwegian hydro reservoirs are full, Britain typically imports. This can make interconnectors the most volatile line on the generation-mix table, sometimes swinging from strongly importing to strongly exporting within a single day.
Sources
- IFA, Moyle, BritNed, East–West Interconnector, Nemo Link, North Sea Link, ElecLink, Viking Link and Greenlink - Wikipedia entries, each citing primary sources including project developers and Ofgem.
- TenNet: "BritNed marks 15 years of cross-border electricity trading" (2026), confirming BritNed's 2011 commissioning and 1,000MW capacity.
- Elexon: "About Interconnectors" - for how interconnector flows are metered and settled in the GB market.
Records
- Highest net imports (past 12 months)6.8GW - 2 February 2026
- Highest net exports (past 12 months)4.4GW - 5 December 2025
- First interconnector (IFA, to France)1986
- World's longest land-and-subsea interconnector (Viking Link, to Denmark)765km - opened December 2023
- World's longest subsea interconnector at opening (North Sea Link, to Norway)720km - opened 2021
Source: National Energy System Operator (Elexon BMRS for the "past 12 months" figures), National Grid, Interconnectors, National Grid (Viking Link) and Statnett (North Sea Link). Last checked: 2 October 2026.