The British and German TSOs National Grid Ventures (UK) and TenneT Germany have agreed to collaborate on the development of the 2 GW GriffinLink offshore wind interconnector (National Grid press release, 26/01/2026). The project is a multi-purpose interconnector (MPI) aimed to connect 2 GW of offshore wind capacity between the British and German electricity systems.
- The TSOs plan to start offshore studies within the coming years, as well as analysis on existing developments and proposals to promote an integrated European grid, with the project being expected to start operations by the late 2030s. The project is still subject to a final investment decision (FID).
- The GriffinLink should maximise the use of offshore wind in the Northern Seas to meet the energy demand driven by the “increase in electrification due to decarbonisation, data centres and AI.”
- It will build on National Grid’s existing 7.8 GW interconnector portfolio and TenneT Germany’s 23 GW interconnector portfolio.
In January 2026 the North Sea countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, France and Denmark) pledged to deliver 100 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2050 through large-scale joint projects, while the UK and Germany declared their intentions to deepen their collaboration on offshore hybrid assets.
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