Construction work has started on the converter station for National Grid's Viking Link at Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire with Siemens Energy.

Representing a significant step in the UK's journey to net zero, Siemens Energy, lead contractor for the 1400 megawatt interconnector, will supply the technology that will enable the direct sharing of clean electricity between Britain and Denmark for the very first time.

A converter station converts electricity between Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). AC is used in each country’s transmission system, while DC is used for sending electricity long distances along the subsea cables. An identical converter station will be constructed at the other end of the interconnector, in Denmark.

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The converter station will be 300m2, the equivalent of around 12 football pitches. It will house state-of-the-art High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) PLUS technology, which enables the export and import of energy through the 765-kilometer subsea and underground cable to and from Denmark.

In July, UK work started to build a new access road and a bridge over the Hammond Beck waterway. This new permanent infrastructure will enable access for the major construction equipment to the converter station and for operational vehicles to access the site once the converter station is completed in 2023, reducing traffic through Bicker Village.

In total around 60 people are working on the site following Government and industry guidelines for Covid-19 management. Measures introduced include, temperature checks, enhanced PPE (personal protective equipment), hand sanitiser stations across the site, regular cleaning as well as strict social distancing.