The installation of a subsea cable under the framework of the 1,400 MW NordLink high voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnector project between Norway and Germany has started on the Norwegian side. The interconnector project will stretch over 623 km of which 516 km as subsea cable between Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and Tonstad (Norway). NordLink consists of two cables, the second of which will be installed by summer 2018. NordLink's commissioning will take place in 2019 while the commercial operations are expected to come onstream in 2020. Germany would then be able to import hydropower surplus from Norway, while Norway would be supplied with German wind and solar surplus.
The construction process started officially in September 2016 and the European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €300m loan agreement in June 2017 with the Norwegian transmission system operator Statnett.
The shareholders of the projects are the Norwegian TSO Statnett (50%) and DC Nordseekabel, a joint venture of TenneT and German bank KfW, with the remaining 50%.