The British power transmission system operator (TSO) National Grid and its Dutch counterpart TenneT have signed a cooperation agreement to explore the feasibility of connecting Dutch and British wind parks to the energy systems of both countries via subsea electricity cables. Under the terms of the deal, TenneT and National Grid would explore the development of a multi-purpose interconnector (MPI) to simultaneously connect up to 4 GW of British and Dutch offshore wind capacity between the British and Dutch electricity systems, providing an additional 2 GW interconnection capacity between the two countries. The two TSOs aim to have a project defined by the end of 2021 with a view to delivering an operational asset by 2029.
The UK and the Netherlands have both announced ambitious plans to boost offshore wind capacity in the North Sea: the UK government aims to reach 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, while the Dutch government aims to reach 11.5 GW by 2030 and another increase of 20-40 GW by 2050.