HansaLink

• 900 km in length between Scotland and Germany
• 2 GW HVDC capacity – enough to power more than 2 million homes
• 2 GW link to offshore wind farm
• Green, clean electricity that helps support significant CO₂ reductions
• Significant economic gains – €1.2 billion in added value and 10,000 full‑time‑equivalent job years

• Offshore converter platform
  Located in GB waters, the offshore converter platform will connect to a future offshore wind farm with a capacity of up to 2 GWs. Energy will be brought into the platform via 132 kV cables from the offshore wind turbines, before it is transformed and converted from Alternating Current (AC) to 525 kV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). This conversion from AC to DC allows power from the wind farm to be transmitted over long distances whilst minimising the loss of electrical energy as it moves along the cables.
• HVDC Cables
  A pair of 525 kV Direct Current (DC) cables will run under the seabed and will connect between the offshore converter platform and the onshore converter stations in Germany and Scotland. 
• Onshore converter stations
  Both the German and British grids run on Alternating Current (AC). However, to move power efficiently over long distances underwater, it must travel as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC).
  
  The converter stations use Voltage Source Converter (VSC) technology to flip the power between AC and DC. There will be one onshore converter station in Germany, and one located in Scotland and when power arrives in either Germany or Scotland as DC, the converter station converts it back to AC so it can be safely plugged into the local grid and sent to homes and businesses.

Now in its early development phase, HansaLink has already secured provisional connection agreements with the Scottish grid operator SSEN Transmission and the German operator TenneT.

The project is currently focused on marine and terrestrial surveys to identify the most efficient route and preparing for formal planning applications in both the UK and Germany.

The project is expected to be commissioned by 2033-2035.

• Enables decarbonisation at scale by facilitating the large‑scale integration of offshore wind generation between Scotland and Germany, contributing to long‑term reductions in power‑sector greenhouse‑gas emissions.
• Reduces renewable energy curtailment through a hybrid interconnector design that allows offshore wind output to be optimally distributed across two power systems, improving the utilisation of zero‑carbon generation assets.
• Enhances overall system efficiency, reducing reliance on carbon‑intensive balancing resources by enabling cross‑border electricity flows when offshore wind generation does not fully utilise the link.
• Strengthens security of supply and system resilience by increasing interconnection capacity between two markets, supporting reliable electricity provision during periods of variable renewable generation.
• Demonstrates alignment with EU climate and energy policy objectives, reflected by inclusion in ENTSO‑E’s Ten‑Year Network Development Plan and designation as a Project of Mutual Interest, confirming strategic relevance, regulatory oversight, and contribution to the coordinated European energy transition.

The project is spearheaded by WindGrid (a subsidiary of Elia Group), working in close collaboration with the grid operators SSEN Transmission in Scotland and TenneT in Germany.

Unlike a standard interconnector, which uses a point-to-point high-voltage cable solely to transfer power between two countries, an MPI is a subsea cable system with a dual purpose. It functions as a cross border interconnector and as an offshore transmission link for wind farms.

This hybrid design is efficient and cost saving, reducing the amount of infrastructure needed on the seabed and at the coastline. This results in a lower environmental impact by minimising coastal landing points and ensures the infrastructure is used more consistently throughout the year.