Jersey electricity cable to 'improve Guernsey supply'

A third undersea cable between Jersey and France will increase the amount of energy Guernsey can import.

Head of Guernsey Electricity Alan Bates said this was good news for the island but that securing a second power cable for Guernsey was more important.

He said it was needed to provide security of supply.

Mr Bates said: "We're still doing the economic assessment at whether it's going to Jersey or direct to France."

He said the £40m Jersey cable was due to be ready for use by 2015.

Mr Bates said the island was currently importing 40% of its demand from France, but before the failure of an undersea cable between the islands and one between Jersey and France it had been about 80%.

He said: "The cable failing between Jersey and France reduced the supply, which had a knock on effect for Guernsey."

Mr Bates said the new cable between Jersey and France allowed both islands to consider importing more energy.

He said: "The cable called Normandy 3 is due to be installed in 2014 and will be commissioned by 2015, that's a 100 megawatt cable.

"We're also got plans to look at another cable as well between Jersey and France, which will be called Normandy 1 and is actually the replacement for the cable that failed last year, that will probably be between 50 and 100 megawatts."

Mr Bates said the cables could also be used to export power, if any of the large renewable projects being discussed became reality.