NKT has completed the first cable pull-ins at Lemóniz in northern Spain for the €3.1 billion Biscay Gulf Interconnector, which will link the Spanish and French electricity networks.
The cables were transferred ashore from NKT Victoria through a drilled route extending more than 1,000 m. The landfall technique is designed to limit disruption to the local environment.
The approximately 400 km interconnector will run between Gatika in Spain’s Basque Country and Cubnezais in southwestern France. About 300 km of the route will cross beneath the Bay of Biscay.
Two high-voltage direct current systems will form the electricity link, with each system providing 1,000 MW of capacity. Once operational, the project will raise electricity exchange capacity between Spain and France from 2.8 GW to 5 GW.
The project is being developed by INELFE, a joint venture between Spain’s Red Eléctrica and France’s RTE. Support is also being provided by the European Investment Bank and the European Union through CINEA. The link is set to become the first submarine electricity interconnection between Spain and France.
Construction began in 2023. Under INELFE’s current schedule, marine cable installation will continue through the third quarter of 2027, while testing is due to start in mid-2027. The interconnector is expected to enter service in 2028.
The additional transmission capacity is expected to improve grid security and flexibility, reduce cross-border congestion and support greater integration of renewable electricity.
The European Investment Bank has committed up to €1.6 billion to the project. Its estimated total cost is about €3.1 billion.
