NeuConnect Interconnector

NeuConnect announces Slough Fort Preservation Trust as a recipient of its third Community Fund grant

The NeuConnect team is pleased to announce the third round of funding from its UK Community Fund. This year’s award will support Slough Fort Preservation Trust’s vital renovation project.

Each year, the NeuConnect Community Fund provides financial support to local projects and initiatives that directly benefit the areas in which NeuConnect is being constructed and will operate. An annual UK fund is available to support projects in the village of the Isle of Grain and the wider Medway region, with a separate Germany fund available to support projects in the region of Wilhelmshaven.

The award will support Slough Fort Preservation Trust’s plans to convert a former military recreation building into a lecture and education room for local schools and youth groups. The grant will enable the Trust to transform the fort’s former military recreation building into a dedicated lecture and education space, designed to welcome local schools, youth organisations and community groups.

Arnaud Grévoz, CEO of NeuConnect, stated: “NeuConnect always strives to make a positive impact on our local communities in Kent, and the Community Fund is one of the ways we can achieve that goal. We’re delighted to be working with Slough Fort Preservation Trust to support their incredible work in the community, preserving a local landmark and providing a unique space for young  people to learn more about the history of the local area.”

The NeuConnect project will see around 725km of land and subsea cables form an “invisible highway”, creating the first direct power link between Germany and Great Britain. The interconnector will join two of Europe’s largest energy markets for the first time, allowing up to 1.4GW of electricity to move in either direction between a new substation on the Isle of Grain and a substation in Wilhelmshaven.

NeuConnect welcomes submissions to the Community Fund for the next round in the coming months. To find out more, visit www.neuconnect-interconnector.com/community-fund.

On Thursday 5th February, major infrastructure project NeuConnect, connected to the UK at the Isle of Grain, hosted a careers event at The Thomas Aveling School in Rochester, giving young women the chance to explore future opportunities in STEM fields. The NeuConnect event, organised in collaboration with Inspiring Girls International and supported by partners Prysmian and Artelia, marked the first in a two‑part international initiative, with a parallel event which took place in March.

NeuConnect is an interconnector project creating the first direct power link between Germany and Great Britain, connecting two of Europe’s largest energy markets for the first time.

More than 45 students took part in the workshop, which was opened with a speech from local Member of Parliament Lauren Edwards, followed by a lively panel discussion featuring female role models from across NeuConnect, Prysmian and Artelia. The session was followed by a fast-paced speed‑mentoring activity, enabling smaller groups of students to ask questions about career paths, day‑to‑day responsibilities, and the realities of working in engineering, infrastructure and energy.

The day concluded with an interactive workshop, where students worked in groups to build their own mini-interconnector models, bringing to life the concepts behind the NeuConnect project.

Over the past year, NeuConnect, Prysmian and Artelia have been working closely with the Inspiring Girls UK team to create a workshop that would help girls better understand the breadth of careers available in STEM, how to navigate a path into the industry, and what skills and confidence can help them get started.

Planning took place in coordination with the Inspiring Girls Germany team, ensuring that the UK and German events were aligned to celebrate the international partnership underpinning the NeuConnect project.

Lauren Edwards MP comments “Many thanks to the Grain‑based energy project NeuConnect for inviting me to speak at their STEM careers event at The Thomas Aveling School, held in partnership with the Inspiring Girls charity. Ensuring that women and girls are able to achieve their potential in science, technology, engineering and maths careers is crucial, and it was great to see so many girls from Thomas Aveling excelling in these subjects and  taking part in the event.”

Inspiring Girls International is a global charity dedicated to raising the aspirations of girls by connecting them with female role models. Active in 40 countries, we challenge gender stereotypes and broaden girls’ horizons by introducing them to diverse careers, empowering them to make confident, informed choices about their futures. Through school talks, speed networking events, and digital campaigns, we provide relatable, real-world inspiration to thousands of girls across the world. Our mission is simple: if girls can see it, they can be it. To learn more, visit www.inspiring-girls.com