On 5 September 2023, AQUIND Limited and Portsmouth City Council have entered into a Works Co-operation Agreement. The Works Co-Operation Agreement documents the process to be undertaken to ensure co-operation between AQUIND Limited and Portsmouth City Council in relation to the delivery of the AQUIND Interconnector and Phase 4B and Phase 5 of the North Portsea Island Coastal Defence Scheme between Milton Common and Kendall’s Wharf, Eastern Road.

The Works Co-Operation Agreement includes arrangements for the unlikely event that the projects should overlap with one another. It also covers the restoration of land following the works to deliver the AQUIND Interconnector, including the provision of planting and / or replacement planting by AQUIND in overlapping areas which form part of the Coastal Defence Works.

The decision on whether to grant development consent for AQUIND Interconnector is currently awaited from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Notes to Editors.

Aquind Interconnector is a privately financed £1.35bn, subsea and underground High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electric cable between Normandy in France and Lovedean Substation in Hampshire, England. With a net capacity of 2000MW the Interconnector will provide up to 5% of the electricity required to power Great Britain.

AQUIND interconnector will help integrate a greater proportion of non-fossil fuel energy sources and intermittent renewables into the GB energy mix, helping meet the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target by reducing CO2 emissions by 22.5-25.7 million tonnes.

AQUIND Interconnector will have a critical role in meeting the anticipated increase in the UK’s electricity demand. The Energy White Paper issued by BEIS in December 2020 set the target of 18 GW of interconnection capacity between Great Britain and neighbouring markets by 2030. Interconnectors will help integrate the growing share of renewable power generation and satisfy the demand for electricity stemming from the electrification of transport and other sectors of the economy.