The Norwegian government has announced the construction of two sub-sea 1,400MW electricity cables to link Norway with the UK and Germany, allowing the three countries to exchange renewable energy and thereby balance their electricity supply.

Günther Oettinger, vice president of the EU Commission, said: “This will help enormously to integrate renewable energy in north-west Europe. Germany and the UK can sell renewable energy to Norway when weather conditions permit, and Norway can sell electricity from hydropower. This will benefit both sides and balance the system.”

The NordLink interconnector will run between Norway and Germany, while the North Sea Network will run between Norway and UK, with a goal to be operational by 2020 at the latest.