Germany, Norway flip switch on $2.4B undersea energy link

Germany and Norway have inaugurated a new undersea cable that directly links the two countries’ electricity networks

BERLIN -- Germany and Norway inaugurated a new undersea cable Thursday that directly links the two countries' electricity networks, a project that has been described as a key step in Europe's effort to shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The 2-billion-euro ($2.4 billion) project, called Nordlink, will allow Germany to export excess electricity from its wind parks to Norway, where it can be stored in the Nordic nation's vast hydropower reservoirs. During periods of little wind, electricity can be released from Norwegian reservoirs again to meet German demand. “We're setting a milestone for the modern energy supply in Europe,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a virtual ceremony to officially switch on the power link. The 623-kilometer (387-mile) cable runs under the North Sea, from Germany’s northern state of Schleswig-Holstein to Tonstad in southern Norway. Operators say it can carry enough electricity to supply 3.6 million households at once.