SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission have broken ground on a 190-kilometer (118 miles) subsea electricity superhighway. The joint venture partners said in a media release that the Eastern Green Link 1 will connect the southeast of Scotland and the northeast of England.
The GBP 2.5 billion ($3.15 billion) project got the green light from Ofgem last year and onshore works are now underway with offshore construction due to start in the summer.
At the cable’s two landfall points, Torness, in East Lothian, and Hawthorn Pit, in County Durham, two converter stations will be built to change the electricity from alternating to direct current – the most efficient way for it to travel long distances, the partners said. Specialist boats are then used to lay the cable across the seabed and bury it throughout the route before connecting it to the grid.
The partners, together with the Minister for Housing and MSP for East Lothian Paul McLennan, have confirmed a GBP 8 million fund ($10 million) approved by Ofgem to support communities and deliver social, environmental, and economic benefits where the cable meets land in East Lothian and County Durham.
“The £2.5 billion joint investment from SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission highlights their dedication to enhancing energy security while delivering significant social, economic, and environmental benefits to local communities hosting this vital infrastructure”, said McLennan.
“Electricity supports every part of our day-to-day lives and with demand set to double we now need the grid to match”, Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks, said.
“Today’s announcement puts us one step closer in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and create a cheaper, more secure energy system”, Energy Minister Michael Shanks said. “This new electric superhighway will help us on our way by transporting more renewable energy under the North Sea to power millions of homes and businesses while supporting skilled jobs in our industrial heartlands and saving billpayers hundreds of millions of pounds. It forms part of our once-in-a-generation upgrade to Britain’s energy infrastructure, using some of the most advanced subsea technology in the world”.
“The electricity projects we are delivering from now to 2030 and beyond, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK are monumental. They will meet future energy demand, achieve greater energy security alongside the delivery of cleaner power, and will help to contribute to lower bills for consumers”, Carl Trowell, President of Strategic Infrastructure for National Grid Electricity Transmission, said.
In the coming weeks, the Eastern Green Link 1 project team will meet with local stakeholders to tailor the funding to their needs and maximize community benefits before applications open.
In December 2023, National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks picked Prysmian as the provider of nearly 400 kilometers (248 miles) of power cable for the 118-mile route between England and Scotland. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions and METLEN Energy & Metals will supply and construct two HVDC converter stations at each end of the cable, the two partners said.
Together, SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission already own and operate the Western Link, which according to the companies is the world’s highest capacity subsea cable and one of the longest, connecting Hunterston in Scotland to Connah’s Quay in Wales.
Source: RIGZONE, Published: Feb 17, 2025
