IFA-2

IFA-2 (also Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2) is an electric interconnector cable currently (2019) under construction between France and the United Kingdom.  
The HVDC cable will be  long, operating at +/-320kV, and with a capacity to transmit 1,000 MW of power.  It will be the second interconnector between France and Great Britain, after the HVDC Cross-Channel link. 

The project is being developed by IFA2 SAS, a joint venture between UK National Grid and RTE of France. 

Route
The cable will be connected to the French grid at the Tourbe 400 kV substation.  From there, a 300 m high voltage alternating current (HVAC) underground cable would run to the converter station nearby.  From the converter station a  long underground HVDC cable would run to landfall point at the east of Merville-Franceville-Plage, near Caen in Normandy.  

On the British side the landfall point is located at Monks Hill Beach, at the southern end of Solent Airfield, near Southampton.  The converter station would be located to the north east of Solent Airfield.  From there a  long underground HVAC cable would run to the point of connection to the grid at Chilling 400 kV substation, near Warsash, Hampshire. 

Project history and future plans
In 2015, the European Commission identified IFA-2 as one of key energy infrastructure projects. 

In 2017, contract for IFA-2 was awarded to the Prysmian Group and ABB. 

The project partners, National Grid and Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE), are planning to complete the construction of IFA2 and start operations in 2020. 

References

See Also
 ElecLink, another 1,000 MW UK-France interconnector under construction

External links

 RTE website
 IFA-2 Corporate website
 Non-technical summary (pdf)
 Copy of information boards displayed in 2017 (pdf)

Category:Electrical interconnectors to and from Great Britain
Category:Proposed electric power transmission systems
Category:Electric power infrastructure in England
Category:Electric power infrastructure in France
Category:HVDC transmission lines
Category:France–United Kingdom relations