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FAB Link deadline extended

By: Chris Anderson 02/10/2018 OFGEM edited by 4C

General Grid Interconnectors

FAB Link have been unable to submit sufficient information for the Final Project Acceptance (FPA) stage. The deadline for a submission from FAB Link was in late July.

This was after in 2017 where OFGEM provided a 12-month extension to their original deadline. The developers were threatened that where it did not receive sufficient information within the extended deadline, OFGEM would redo the Initial Project assessment and confirm or remove the cap and floor for the project.

At the time of the July 2017 update, OFGEM expected FAB Link to submit information for the FPA in autumn 2017, and to take its Final Investment Decision (FID) in the first half of 2018. However, in November 2017 the French regulator, CRE, published a deliberation noting that it is not able to take regulatory decisions for further GB-France interconnectors until the outcome of the UK’s exit from the European Union is clarified. This has meant that the final stages of FAB Link’s development process have been significantly delayed.

In order to clarify and confirm regulatory treatment for the project, FAB Link has recently submitted an investment request on the basis of Article 12 of Regulation 347/2013 (this allows European Projects of Common Interest to submit an investment request, and sets out a process for regulatory consideration).

Together with CRE, OFGEM are considering the request submitted by FAB Link. The relevant legislation places responsibilities on Ofgem and CRE, as the relevant national regulators, to consider requests from projects of common interest (PCIs).

Ofgem has now stated it is confident that FAB Link is able to meet the minimum requirements for their FPA stage. This information will include a range of tender returns for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts which are expected to make up most of the project’s costs.

However, whilst the procurement and financing processes for the project are on hold – pending an outcome from the Article 12 investment request – OFGEM has delayed their FPA whilst they wait for the conclusion of the investment request process – and/or the confirmation of any French regulatory arrangements for the project.

Once and if regulatory clarity is delivered, OFGEM have stated that they expect FAB Link to submit its FPA shortly after the procurement and financing processes have restarted.

FAB Link information

The 2 x 700 MW cables join the UK and France via Alderney, the link has been seen as an enabling project for the tidal project, Race Tidal, that could be connect to the interconnector. Any tidal project wishing to connect into the link would have to build an AC/DC converter on Alderney. A third converter could be supplied under an extension to the current tender this would be dependant on the schedule of the interconnector and the tidal project. If created this would create a multi-terminal system. This scenario of adding a third onshore converter, if applicable, is cheaper than adding an offshore converter. The breakdown of the distances are: 4 to 5 km AC cable between the UK substation and converter-20 km DC onshore cables UK-140 km DC offshore cable UK to Alderney-1 km onshore cables across Alderney-30 km DC cables between Alderney and France-25 km onshore DC cables France. Voltage Sourced Converters (VSC) are the preferred converter technology due to its simpler design, has fewer or no filters when compared to Line Communicated Converters (LCC), and it enables the use of XLPE or MI cables, unlike LLC which is limited to MI. The landing points on Alderney are Longis Bay in the south towards France and Corblets beach in the north towards the UK. Cap and Floor Window 1 project.

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FAB Link deadline extended

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