With the new cable “Skagerrak 4” between Denmark and Norway, the two countries will be able to exchange 70% more electricity in the future. On the 12th of March, the cable was inaugurated by the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Building, Rasmus Helveg Petersen, H.R.H Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and H.R.H Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.

With the new cable, the total capacity between Denmark and Norway is now 1.700 MW, which corresponds to about one fourth of Denmark’s total electricity consumption on a cold and dark winter day. With new strong electricity connections to other countries, Denmark increases their possibility to exchange electricity on the Nordic market. This improves the market in general and gives Denmark the opportunity to harness wind and hydro power.

“With the new connection we can, to a greater extent, harness the wind power and sell it to Norway when demanded, and we can utilise the Norwegian water power in periods with little wind. The new connection also improves conditions for competition at the electricity market. Just yesterday, a new calculation by the Danish Energy Agency showed that Danish companies’ electricity prices are lower than both the German and the British. This is largely due to our cables to Norway, Sweden, and Northern Germany. In this area, we are, together with the Nordic countries, well ahead of the ambitions of EU’s Energy Union”, says Rasmus Helveg Peternsen, Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Building.

100 years with an integrated energy system
The inauguration of the Skagerrak 4 connection coincides with the Danish 100-year anniversary of the first international power connection. The power connections to other countries give Denmark a high security of supply. According to recent calculations, Denmark is listed as number two in Europe with a security supply of 99.996%.

The new connection is the fourth connection across the Danish sea “Skagerrak”. Besides the inauguration of the Skagerrak 4 connection, Energinet.dk also marked that a new and more powerful 175 kilometre long high-voltage transmission line between Tjele and Kassø, by the Danish-German boarder, is now being used. The Kassø-Tjele power line is the backbone of the West Danish electricity grid.

See more: Real time graphics of Danish power supply and connections

Facts on the Danish Integrated Energy System:
The Skagerrak 4 cable consists of 140 km submarine cable from Bulbjerg by Jammerbugten, across Skagerrak to Kristiansand in Norway, 90 km land cable from Bulbjerg til Tjele by Viborg and approx. 10 km. land cable in Norway. The total connection is 240 km long.

• The inauguration of Skagerrak 4 coincides with the 100-year anniversary of Denmark’s inter-state commerce of power. The first connection was established between Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden in 1915.
• The Skagerrak 4 connection has an exchange capacity of 700 MW. This is an increase of 70% compared to the existing 3 cables between Denmark and Norway. In total, Skagerrak 1-3 have a capacity of approx. 1000 MW. With Skagerrak 4, the capacity is increased by 1700 MW. In comparison, the off shore wind turbines by the Danish island Anholt has a total capacity of 400 MW. The total Danish export capacity is 6520 MW, which corresponds to the entire Danish electricity consumption on a cold and dark winter day.
• The total construction budget for the Skagerrak 4 is approx. 3.3 billion DKK. The Danish part of the investment constitutes approx. 1.8 billion. The project is expected realised below budget.
• The Skagerrak 4 project has received EU support of a total of 23.8 million DKK from Trans-European Energy Networks, whereof 16.3 million have been received.

Source: Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Buildings