National Grid invests up to £400m to extend IFA’s operation to 2050

National Grid will invest up to £400 million in Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA), the cross-border electricity link between Great Britain and France jointly owned by National Grid and RTE. It will help to secure its continued operation until at least 2050, maintaining an important source of flexible electricity for both countries.

The investment was announced as IFA marked 40 years of operation, with the Deputy French Ambassador to the UK joining National Grid and its French partner RTE at the site and is part of National Grid’s wider plans to invest at least £70 billion across the Group over the five years to March 2031.

When it began operating in 1986, IFA was the first modern electricity interconnector linking Great Britain with continental Europe and only the second subsea high voltage direct current cable link in the world. It remains Britain’s largest subsea connection by capacity and can carry enough electricity to power approximately three million British homes annually.

Since 1986 net imports have totalled an estimated 409TWh — considerably more than a full year of Britain's electricity demand. Although electricity has historically flowed mainly to Great Britain, IFA also supports flows in the opposite direction when market conditions dictate. In 2022, electricity exported from Great Britain helped France during outages across its nuclear fleet. There is also regular exporting on the intraday market, reflecting the different demand patterns between Great Britain and France.

The ability to access cheaper French nuclear generation when the price of wholesale power is high in Britain helps to lower prices for British consumers. National Grid analysis has found that its interconnectors have delivered £2 billion in net benefits to British consumers since 2023, compared with traditional gas generation. As renewable generation grows, interconnectors can provide further opportunities to export electricity when UK supply exceeds domestic demand.

Rebecca Sedler, President of NGV UK, National Grid said:

For 40 years, our IFA interconnector has been sharing secure and affordable electricity between Great Britain and France. That has delivered benefits for UK consumers and since 2020, IFA has made payments to UK consumers of nearly £300 million. 

I’m proud to announce this new investment which will extend the operation of IFA to meet the next phase of electricity demand, from AI to electric vehicles. Our ability to connect both nations will benefit consumers and the energy systems on both sides of the channel.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

For decades, Britain has exchanged energy with its European neighbours, boosting the resilience of our energy systems and saving consumers billions of pounds.

Today’s investment will ensure this vital link continues into the second half of this century, ensuring British consumers can benefit from lower-cost electricity for generations to come.

By extending IFA’s operation to 2050, the investment will support the continued two-way flow of electricity between Great Britain and France, strengthening energy security and delivering value for consumers in both countries. The programme will include upgrades to essential technical equipment, buildings and facilities at the interconnector site.

Notes to editors

1. Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) is a joint venture split between National Grid and the French Transmission Operator RTE operating the subsea electricity link between Great Britain and France, commissioned in 1986. Today’s announcement reflects National Grid’s investment in IFA of up to £400m. The investment by RTE is not disclosed. 
2. National Grid analysis compared to NESO Britain’s Energy Explained (288TWh electricity demand in 2025) – https://www.neso.energy/news/britains-energy-explained-2025-review. 
3. National Grid analysis, updated to cover the period of 2023 to July 2026 - Interconnectors deliver billions in benefits to Brits | National Grid.
4. IFA shares a proportion of its revenues with consumers under its regulatory arrangements. Ofgem: Electricity interconnector Use of Revenues report 2025.