Eurotunnel has announced plans to run an electricity link through the Channel Tunnel as part of a plan to boost Britain’s power supplies.

The proposed cable aims to smooth out supply volatility relating to offshore wind power.

The 500 megawatt (MW) cable will run in the existing service tunnel.

Eurotunnel had a fire in one of its tunnels in 2008 but the team said there was no risk to travellers as the cables will be heavily insulated, while laying it in the service tunnel will make maintenance easier.

The project will cost an estimated €250m and take two years to build, with Eurotunnel owning 49 percent and infrastructure-focused fund manager Star Capital the remaining 51 percent.

However, concerns have been growing over the security of future UK electricity supplies because of an EU commitment to generate 20pc of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Wind power is seen as key to hitting that target but it has proved a volatile source, largely due to difficulties predicting when and where the wind will blow.