With rising energy prices and stringent requirements for producing a higher
proportion of energy from renewable sources in the near future, long-distance
electricity cables are increasingly thought of as a viable option for providing
electricity.
The cables, or interconnectors to give them their proper name, transmit energy by way of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) rather than the conventional Alternating Current (AC). For long-distance connections, HVDC cables are highly energy efficient, losing only 2-3 percent of power over 1,000 km.
Now, UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry is undergoing discussions with Iceland’s state-owned energy company, Landsvirkjun, on the possibility of setting up an underwater cable between the two countries to provide Britain with renewable energy from Iceland.
The energy would come from existing geothermal and hydroelectric power plants, although if the two pilot windmills which are scheduled to be installed later this year prove successful, wind power could also potentially be used to power the interconnector.
Landsvirkjun has in fact been exploring the possibility of setting up an underwater cable with Europe since the early 1990s or even before, but the cost has always been thought of as prohibitive although the initiative was always known to be technically feasible.
The cables would lie at a depth of about 1000 m while the distance between the two countries is around 1,200 km. Other interconnectors exist that are longer or deeper, but none are both as deep and as long as the proposed cable linking the UK with Iceland.
What is the next step? "The government has set up a committee to look at the economic benefits for Iceland," says Magnus Bjarnason from Landsvirkjun.
Asked whether more power plants would need to be built to power the interconnector, Bjarnason replies: "Technological advances have enabled energy distribution to become more efficient. In all such systems, there has to be enough excess capacity to deal with power failures or other emergencies.
"It all boils down to reducing waste in the system," he concluded.
Read more: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=108030
The cables, or interconnectors to give them their proper name, transmit energy by way of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) rather than the conventional Alternating Current (AC). For long-distance connections, HVDC cables are highly energy efficient, losing only 2-3 percent of power over 1,000 km.
Now, UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry is undergoing discussions with Iceland’s state-owned energy company, Landsvirkjun, on the possibility of setting up an underwater cable between the two countries to provide Britain with renewable energy from Iceland.
The energy would come from existing geothermal and hydroelectric power plants, although if the two pilot windmills which are scheduled to be installed later this year prove successful, wind power could also potentially be used to power the interconnector.
Landsvirkjun has in fact been exploring the possibility of setting up an underwater cable with Europe since the early 1990s or even before, but the cost has always been thought of as prohibitive although the initiative was always known to be technically feasible.
The cables would lie at a depth of about 1000 m while the distance between the two countries is around 1,200 km. Other interconnectors exist that are longer or deeper, but none are both as deep and as long as the proposed cable linking the UK with Iceland.
What is the next step? "The government has set up a committee to look at the economic benefits for Iceland," says Magnus Bjarnason from Landsvirkjun.
Asked whether more power plants would need to be built to power the interconnector, Bjarnason replies: "Technological advances have enabled energy distribution to become more efficient. In all such systems, there has to be enough excess capacity to deal with power failures or other emergencies.
"It all boils down to reducing waste in the system," he concluded.
Read more: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=108030
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