Global GridIFA: Great Britain to France
IFA is an undersea power cable between Great Britain and France, from Sellindge, Kent, to Bonningues-lès-Calais. It can carry 2,000 MW, the largest of Great Britain's 10 interconnectors, and opened in 1986.
See IFA'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 3.2 GWh over IFA to France, an average of 140 MW, 7.0% of its capacity.
Key facts
| Connects | Great Britain and France |
| Route | Sellindge, Kent, to Bonningues-lès-Calais |
| Capacity | 2,000 MW |
| Technology | High-voltage direct current, ±270 kV |
| Length | about 70 km, 45 km under the sea |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Owner | National Grid and RTE |
IFA is one of 3 cables between Great Britain and France, with IFA2 and ElecLink.
Questions and answers
What is IFA?
IFA is a high-voltage power cable between Great Britain and France, running from Sellindge, Kent, to Bonningues-lès-Calais. It can carry 2,000 MW, 19% of Great Britain's interconnector capacity, and opened in 1986.
How much power can IFA carry?
2,000 MW: the largest of Great Britain's 10 interconnectors. That is about 19% of the 10,304 MW all of them can carry together.
How long is IFA?
About 70 km, 45 km under the sea: the 8th longest of Great Britain's interconnectors.
Who owns IFA?
National Grid and RTE.
When did IFA open?
In 1986, so it has been running for about 40 years.
What other cables link Great Britain and France?
IFA2 (1,000 MW, 2021) and ElecLink (1,000 MW, 2022). Together with IFA they can carry 4,000 MW.
Where can I see IFA's flow now?
The Global Grid dashboard shows IFA'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| BritNed | Netherlands | 1,000 | 2011 |
| 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, “IFA: Great Britain to France”, globalgrid.uk/interconnector/ifa, and the original source named above.