The Richborough Connection, a project in Kent to swap electricity between the UK and Europe, is now one step closer.

National Grid and Elia, the Belgian electricity transmission system operator, have signed a joint venture agreement to go ahead with the Nemo Link interconnector.

This runs from Richborough near Sandwich to Zeebrugge.

This is the first link between the two countries and will flow 1,000MW of electricity in either direction – enough to power half a million homes.

It will run from the former power station at Richborough to Herdersbrug near Zeebrugge with a combination of undersea and underground cables.

Edward Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said: “Better electricity links to our neighbours help to guarantee our energy security at the lowest possible cost to bill payers and means we can use renewable electricity more effectively, allowing excess generation to be exported.

"This new interconnector will increase the amount of capacity available through interconnectors by 25%."

Steve Holliday, chief executive of National Grid, said: “It’s a great achievement for the project to have reached this stage and I’m confident that everyone involved in the joint venture will work hard to deliver the interconnector by 2019."

Engineering design work and site preparation should begin later in the year and is predicted to be in commercial operation by 2019.