Global GridBritNed: Great Britain to the Netherlands
BritNed is an undersea power cable between Great Britain and the Netherlands, from Isle of Grain, Kent, to Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam. It can carry 1,000 MW, the joint 4th largest of Great Britain's 10 interconnectors, and opened in 2011.
See BritNed's flow right now, every 5 minutes, on the live dashboard (Great Britain's Interconnectors card), or on the Live map.
Recent flows
On 28 October 2026 (the 22.9 hours to 22:55 UK time), Great Britain exported 8.9 GWh over BritNed to the Netherlands, an average of 389 MW, 39% of its capacity.
Key facts
| Connects | Great Britain and the Netherlands |
| Route | Isle of Grain, Kent, to Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam |
| Capacity | 1,000 MW |
| Technology | High-voltage direct current, ±450 kV |
| Length | about 260 km |
| Opened | 2011 |
| Owner | BritNed Development (National Grid and TenneT) |
Questions and answers
What is BritNed?
BritNed is a high-voltage power cable between Great Britain and the Netherlands, running from Isle of Grain, Kent, to Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam. It can carry 1,000 MW, 9.7% of Great Britain's interconnector capacity, and opened in 2011.
How much power can BritNed carry?
1,000 MW: the joint 4th largest of Great Britain's 10 interconnectors. That is about 9.7% of the 10,304 MW all of them can carry together.
How long is BritNed?
About 260 km: the 4th longest of Great Britain's interconnectors.
Who owns BritNed?
BritNed Development (National Grid and TenneT).
When did BritNed open?
In 2011, so it has been running for about 15 years.
Where can I see BritNed's flow now?
The Global Grid dashboard shows BritNed's flow every 5 minutes, from Elexon's figures: whether Great Britain is importing or exporting, and how much.
Great Britain's other interconnectors
| Interconnector | To | MW | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFA | France | 2,000 | 1986 |
| North Sea Link | Norway | 1,400 | 2021 |
| Viking Link | Denmark | 1,400 | 2023 |
| IFA2 | France | 1,000 | 2021 |
| ElecLink | France | 1,000 | 2022 |
| Nemo Link | Belgium | 1,000 | 2019 |
| Greenlink | Ireland | 504 | early 2025 |
| East-West | Ireland | 500 | 2012 |
| Moyle | Northern Ireland | 500 | 2001 |
Every UK interconnector, with the UK's imports since 2000 and the cables being built
Sources: the cables' owners and operators (capacities, routes and opening dates, as on the Pipelines tab's power link details); the flows on the live dashboard contain BMRS data © Elexon Limited copyright and database right; the United Kingdom's net imports are Ember's yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0). Facts checked 28 October 2026.
To cite this page: Global Grid, “BritNed: Great Britain to the Netherlands”, globalgrid.uk/interconnector/britned, and the original source named above.