Germany and Norway have inaugurated a submarine cable nest that connects their energy networks, with the idea of consolidating the two countries’ green energy supply and organizing the energy transition on a European scale, AFP reports.

The North Sea separates the German town of Wilster, close to the mouth of the Elbe, from the town of Tonstad in southern Norway. Between the two localities was placed Nordlink, one of the longest submarine cables in the world, which promises less polluting energy for the first European economic power, engaged in a race to reduce CO2 emissions.

The commissioning of the 623-kilometer-long line, of which 516 on the seabed, was hailed as “an important step towards a sustainable energy supply” by the German chancellor, according to Agerpres.

“Thanks to this connection, we can now make better use of our electricity infrastructure,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

In 2020, renewable energies accounted for the first time for half of Germany’s electricity production, compared to 25% ten years ago, the Fraunhofer Research Institute points out. But even so, Germany is still far from achieving its goal of achieving climate neutrality in 2045. The German energy-intensive economy will have to deal with the closure of the country’s last nuclear power plants in 2022 and the abandonment of coal, until 2038.