France, Paris: A new high-voltage power line between France and Britain is expected to go live by the end of January.

There were several delays following testing and inspection, French grid operator RTE said.

The Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2 (IFA-2) is the second direct current connection between France and Britain, increasing the transport capacity by 1,000 MW.

“IFA-2 is now in its final stages of commissioning and will complete its final tests and inspections over the coming days,” the company said on its website on 18 January.

The line was initially scheduled to start transmission tests in the third quarter of 2020 and go live shortly after, which was delayed.

Britain already has sub-sea electricity interconnectors linking France, Ireland and the Netherlands, but plans to build several more to increase its supply options as older coal and nuclear plants close.

Under European Union regulations, revenues generated by power transmission operators must be used to guarantee availability and reinvested to increase interconnection capacity.

Source: Reuters