The British developer of the new Aquind electricity interconnection project between the United Kingdom and France said that, despite other similar projects, it was worthwhile and announced on Wednesday 4 July that it would appeal against the decision of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) not to exempt it from the rules of the 3rd energy package, particularly the use made of revenues, unbundling and third-party access.
“We are in no doubt that we are doing something useful for both the United Kingdom and France”, Aquind Limited (“Aquind”) Managing Director Kirill Glukhovskoy is quoted by AFP as saying, highlighting closer integration of the electricity markets, the development of renewable energy and strengthening security of supply.
The Aquind project is for a sub-sea electricity line with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts running between the south coast of England and Normandy, linking the British and French electricity grids. The almost €1.4 billion project, recognised by the European Commission as a project of common interest, is at the study and requests for permission stage.
As a privately-funded company not in receipt of any government subsidies, Aquind asked to be exempted from the requirement to reinvest revenues generated by the link to ensure the functioning of the network and increase capacity in order, on the contrary, to be able to pay investors.
On 19 June, ACER decided not to grant the exemptions requested by Aquind to the provisions of the regulation and the electricity directive relating to the use of congestion revenues, unbundling and third party access and to terms and conditions for connection and access, including tariffs.
Aquind is competing with other development projects which seek to improve the existing 2,000 megawatt capacity interconnection between the United Kingdom and France: ElecLink, 1,000 megawatts, being developed by a Eurotunnel subsidiary; IFA2, also 1,000 megawatts; FAB, 1,400 megawatts; and GridLink, Also 1,400 megawatts. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)