Nord Pool Spot has received the following message from Statnett SF:
Trading of electricity over the NorNed interconnector between Norway and the Netherlands is now planned to start in the second half of November 2007. This is later than previously estimated but still ahead of the start originally scheduled for January 1st 2008.
The final section of cable was laid last week, after foul weather conditions in the North Sea had slowed operations for several weeks. A further three offshore joints (connecting cable ends) remain before the cable connection can be fully tested and finally commissioned. Like cable laying, jointing operations are weather-dependent. The first of the remaining joints is expected to be completed by the end of this week, despite the poor weather conditions, while the final two will be completed by mid-October, according to schedule.
The NorNed high voltage direct current (HVDC) link will be tested to ensure a reliable infrastructure to the market. The testing program comprises a low power (LP) test sequence to validate the base functionality of the NorNed HVDC link, followed by a high power (HP) test sequence to ensure the infrastructure is capable of taking a stable and controlled 700 MW transmission. TenneT and Statnett will provide more information about testing and the go-live date through the websites of TenneT, Statnett and Nord Pool Spot as well as the recently launched website www.norned-auction.org.
Lysaker, 4 October 2007