The proposed Tarchon Interconnector Project (Tarchon project) will create a direct power link between the UK and Germany, through the British, Dutch and German North Sea. By connecting the two energy markets, it will increase energy security and reliability, reduce CO₂ emissions and help to reduce energy costs.
The project proposes to connect the two countries’ energy markets and increase the security and reliability of their electrical systems and energy supply. If one country has a surplus of energy and the other has a shortage, this energy can be transferred through the interconnector to help meet the power demand during this time; and vice versa, rather than curtailing and wasting this power it can be traded to the benefit of the country’s economy. In this way, Tarchon contributes to balancing regional and national generation fluctuations, facilitating the efficient use of renewable energies and strengthening the energy supply in the UK and Germany in the long term.
The interconnector will be a combination of land and subsea cables around 760km in length and will allow up to 1.8GW of electricity to move in either direction.
National Grid has proposed a new East Anglia Connection Node (EACN) 400 kV substation in Tendring, where Tarchon has been offered a grid connection.
In November 2024, Ofgem confirmed its support for the Tarchon project to proceed and participate in the regulatory process, noting that it is in the interest of Great Britain’s consumers.
