Channel Tunnel Firm Expands Beyond Freight and Passenger Carriage

FRANCE – UK – Groupe Eurotunnel has been active this month demonstrating that the Channel Tunnel carries more than freight and passenger vehicles between the two countries with the announcement that the company has this week signed a conditional agreement with STAR Capital to acquire that company’s 51% share of ElecLink.

Last month the Tunnel saw more than 139,200 trucks passing through via the Le Shuttle service, the highest ever for that month since it started operations in 1994. This is the sixth month in a row that a record has been set and the month of April 2016 was also the third best month ever for the Le Shuttle Freight traffic, behind March 2016 and March 2015. Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel Commercial Director commented:

“Truck drivers arriving at our Coquelles Terminal in France access an enlarged, comfortable and secure site. Our customers prefer to travel with us because of the facilities we offer and because of our capacity to manage these historic traffic levels.”

The latest announcement sees Eurotunnel take control of a company which is developing a high voltage direct current interconnector to link the electricity markets of Great Britain and France via the Channel Tunnel. Once operational, ElecLink the company says this development will increase the existing interconnection capacity between the two countries by 50% thereby enhancing security of electricity supply for both businesses and domestic consumers.

ElecLink says its scheme is designed to utilise the existing Channel Tunnel infrastructure to carry 1,000 MW of additional bidirectional capacity with very low environmental impact and very high reliability supporting the efficient utilisation of various generation sources, including intermittent low carbon generation, in both countries.