Blackout fears over undersea cable

PLANS to avert blackouts have been affected as repairs to a power cable from France to Britain are delayed.

National Grid’s Interconnexion France-angleterre (IFA) under the Channel has been running at half capacity since a fire in 2021 damaged its substation in Kent.

It had been due to return to full capacity by middecember but will now not do so until mid-january, taking out an important source of electricity supply this winter. It comes at a time of heightened concern due to cuts in supplies of gas from Russia to Europe, meaning it is harder to get gas to fuel power stations.

National Grid warned in October that it might need to cut power supplies to certain areas if gas supplies run short and it cannot import enough electricity from the Continent.

Its base case of enough electricity assumes factors including that the IFA would return to full capacity by mid-december.

At full capacity, the IFA cable can supply roughly two million UK homes depending on demand at the time. It provides an important source of flexibility at peak times.

IFA is one of eight power cables linking Britain to Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland, France and Belgium.