Fyrirhugaður sæstrengur (IceLink) milli Íslands og Bretlands hefur verið í rannsókn frá 2010. Landsvirkjun og National Grid áætluðu 1.000–1.200 km háspennustreng með 1.000–1.200 MW afkastagetu á kostnaðarverði 4–6 milljarðar evra. ESB-aðild gæti auðveldað slíka tengingu í gegnum sameiginleg innviðaverkefni (PCI) og fjármögnun, en myndi einnig setja íslenskan orkumarkað undir reglur innri markaðarins.
Enska frumtextinn
The proposed IceLink submarine electricity cable between Iceland and the UK (and potentially onward to continental Europe) has been studied since the 2010s. Landsvirkjun and National Grid (UK) conducted feasibility studies estimating a 1,000–1,200 km HVDC cable with 1,000–1,200 MW capacity at a cost of 4–6 billion EUR. The cable would allow Iceland to export surplus renewable electricity to European markets where prices are significantly higher. As of 2025, the project remains in the study phase without firm commitment. EU membership could facilitate such interconnection through the Projects of Common Interest (PCI) framework and EU infrastructure funding (Connecting Europe Facility), but would also subject Iceland's electricity market to EU internal market rules including market coupling.
Heimild
Landsvirkjun — IceLink feasibility studies; National Grid ESO
Landsvirkjun er þjóðareign Íslands og stærsta orkufyrirtæki landsins, sem framleiðir um 70% af raforku Íslands úr vatnsafli og jarðvarma.
Skoða heimild ↗Fyrirvarar
Cost estimates are highly uncertain and have escalated with inflation. The cable's viability depends on long-term electricity price differentials, which are affected by growing renewables capacity in Europe. UK's departure from the EU complicates the regulatory framework. There are concerns in Iceland that interconnection could raise domestic electricity prices to European levels, undermining the competitive advantage of energy-intensive industries.