Three local members of parliament, including a junior minister, have met with a defence minister to raise their concerns about the Aquind interconnector project.

What is the Aquind interconnector?

The Aquind Interconnector is a proposed privately financed, subsea and underground high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable between Normandy in France and Lovedean substation near Portsmouth in Hampshire.

According to project promoter Aquind Ltd the 2,000MW interconnector will provide up to 5% of the electricity required to power Great Britain.

Aquind Interconnector applied for the development consent order (DCO) in November 2019; it’s still pending nearly six years later.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Defence raised “significant national security concerns” about the project and requested a six-week extension to the planning process.

The DCO decision was then delayed by the General Election and now remains pending as ministers work through a private process of addressing the security concerns raised by the MOD.

MPs campaigning against project lobby minister

Portsmouth South MP and Department for Education parliamentary under-secretary Stephen Morgan, Fareham and Waterlooville MP and former home secretary Suella Braverman and Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin met with MOD parliamentary under-secretary Luke Pollard to discuss their concerns.

The concerns were centred around national security, but the MOD has not revealed what the concerns about national security are.

Morgan said: “I have long raised national security concerns as part of the representations I’ve been making on behalf of constituents regarding the proposed Aquind interconnector project.

“I was pleased to meet with the Defence Minister to discuss the concerns of Portsmouth people, and I will continue to make the case, alongside local campaigners, for this project to be refused.”

According to The News, a newspaper covering Portsmouth, Braverman said: “I called for this meeting in Parliament and was pleased to engage with MPs and the Minister. It was a productive discussion, and I’m encouraged that the MoD is listening to my concerns on national security on which there can be no compromise.

Martin said: “I oppose the Aquind project due to the environmental damage, murky financing, and severe disruption it would cause for my constituents.

“However, all of this pales in comparison to the national security risk the project poses, as identified by the MOD. I welcome the opportunity to meet the Minister for the Armed Forces to discuss these issues and represent my constituents’ concerns.

“I will continue to stand with my community in our dedicated fight against Aquind.”

Anti-Aquind campaign group hopes meeting implies forthcoming refusal decision

The News also reported that a Let’s Stop Aquind (LSA) spokesperson said: “We embrace the views expressed by both our MPs, as they highlighted the national security risks posed by the project, alongside longstanding questions over the funding and ownership of Aquind Limited.

“LSA has continuously and consistently highlighted how Aquind would damage, yet bring no benefit to, our city and beyond, so we share the MPs’ concerns over the environmental damage, pollution and chaos to residents, visitors and businesses that building the interconnector in Portsmouth would bring.

“We hope that this latest meeting suggests that a decision by Secretary of State Ed Miliband to refuse Aquind’s Development Consent Order is imminent.”

Aquind defiantly optimistic about project prospects

Aquind spokesperson Ben Iorio said: “Aquind remains highly confident that there are no security concerns associated with the project. It is no different from other operational interconnectors in the area, such as IFA2 [a UK-France interconnector commissioned in 2021].

“Aquind Interconnector will strengthen UK and EU energy security, significantly increase socio-economic welfare, reduce carbon emissions, and deliver these benefits without cost to the taxpayer.

“The process established by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to review the Ministry of Defence’s concerns is ongoing, and we are keen to let it run its course.”

NCE reveals litany of threats and accusations by Aquind against UK Government

NCE recently revealed that Aquind Ltd, via its lawyers Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) had threatened the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) with legal action over delays to consideration of its development consent order (DCO) application.

The company also accused the Ministry of Defence of “abusing the issue of national security” and made a series of other allegations, also in a letter via its lawyers.

 

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