Global GridIFA2: Great Britain to France
IFA2 is an undersea power cable between Great Britain and France, from Chilling, Hampshire, to Tourbe, near Caen. It can carry 1,000 MW, the joint 4th largest of Great Britain's 10 interconnectors, and opened in 2021.
See IFA2'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 12 GWh over IFA2 to France, an average of 515 MW, 52% of its capacity.
Key facts
| Connects | Great Britain and France |
| Route | Chilling, Hampshire, to Tourbe, near Caen |
| Capacity | 1,000 MW |
| Technology | High-voltage direct current, ±320 kV |
| Length | about 200 km |
| Opened | 2021 |
| Owner | IFA2 SAS (National Grid and RTE) |
IFA2 is one of 3 cables between Great Britain and France, with IFA and ElecLink.
Questions and answers
What is IFA2?
IFA2 is a high-voltage power cable between Great Britain and France, running from Chilling, Hampshire, to Tourbe, near Caen. It can carry 1,000 MW, 9.7% of Great Britain's interconnector capacity, and opened in 2021.
How much power can IFA2 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 IFA2?
About 200 km: the 5th longest of Great Britain's interconnectors.
Who owns IFA2?
IFA2 SAS (National Grid and RTE).
When did IFA2 open?
In 2021, so it has been running for about 5 years.
What other cables link Great Britain and France?
IFA (2,000 MW, 1986) and ElecLink (1,000 MW, 2022). Together with IFA2 they can carry 4,000 MW.
Where can I see IFA2's flow now?
The Global Grid dashboard shows IFA2'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 |
| 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, “IFA2: Great Britain to France”, globalgrid.uk/interconnector/ifa2, and the original source named above.