Aquind: New Portsmouth Labour MP urges government to “permanently halt" interconnector scheme

n her letter to the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, who is responsible for making the final decision on the controversial project, the Labour MP for Portsmouth North expressed feeling “deeply concerned”. The Aquind project, if approved, would involve laying electricity cables from Normandy to Lovedean, passing through Portsmouth.

Ms Martin highlighted “national security concerns” raised by the Ministry of Defence, noting that the project could undermine the UK’s energy resilience. She warned that the scheme could also politicise the nation’s energy supply due to its “links to donations to Conservative ministers and Russian money”.

She further argued that the project would cause “unimaginable” disruption, particularly as it would require digging up the A2030 Eastern Road, one of only two main roads in and out of the city. She asserted that there is “no benefit to energy consumers or to the people of my city,” emphasising that the project serves no advantage to the local community.

She also criticised a recent survey conducted by Savanta on behalf of Aquind Ltd, which claimed that the majority of residents support an interconnector project. Local campaign group “Let’s Stop Aquind” condemned the survey as “grossly misleading,” a sentiment echoed by Ms Martin, who described the survey as “extremely disingenuous” for not mentioning Aquind by name and for its line of questioning.

In response, an Aquind spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the local community’s concerns regarding potential temporary traffic disruptions during construction, which we have sought to mitigate; however, a recent independent survey by Savanta, a founding member of the British Polling Confederation, revealed that a significant majority of Portsmouth residents are prepared to accept these inconveniences for the greater good.

“As a UK-registered company, Aquind strictly adheres to all relevant laws and regulations of the UK, France, and the EU. Furthermore, ownership in future will include a broad mix of equity shareholders, representing well-known international institutional investors, further strengthening the project’s stability and neutrality.”