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Eastern Green Link 2 receives provisional regulatory approval

By: Chloe Emanuel 27/03/2024 SSEN Transmission

Cables General

Ofgem has given provisional approval of the expenditure required for the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea superhighway, Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission.

The 525kV 2GW link is capable of carrying enough electricity to power nearly two million homes and will run from Peterhead in north east Scotland to Drax on the east coast of England. At a total expected nominal investment of around £4.3bn, EGL2 is the single largest-ever investment in electricity transmission infrastructure in Great Britain. As such, it is one of the most significant, strategic investments in energy infrastructure the country has seen in recent years.

Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery for SSEN Transmission, added: "With HVDC technology set to play a leading role in the clean energy transition, the delivery of EGL2 will build on the significant expertise we have established in this cutting-edge technology following the success of our Caithness-Moray HVDC link, and the Shetland HVDC link which remains on track for energisation this summer."

EGL2 will help unlock Scotland’s renewable potential. It will enable clean homegrown energy to be transported to demand centres, bolstering energy security by reducing the UK’s reliance on imported electricity. It will also significantly reduce the costs associated with transmission system constraints which routinely see generators paid to not produce power, allowing this existing electricity generation to be transported to end users.

EGL2 will support hundreds of skilled jobs during the construction phase and thousands more across the wider economy. Lessons learned in this pioneering project will also support future HVDC deployment, which will be crucial to delivering the transformational increase in grid capacity required to deliver a clean energy power system.

SSEN Transmission’s expected £2bn investment in the EGL2 HVDC link is part of its ‘Pathway to 2030’ investments, which will see around £20bn invested in the north of Scotland electricity transmission network over the next decade. National Grid’s investment in EGL2 forms part of it’s ‘Great Grid Upgrade’, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations and a multibillion investment in new electricity transmission projects across England and Wales.

Ofgem’s decision builds on the recent announcement that the EGL2 joint venture has signed contracts with BAM Nuttal for all civil works, Hitachi Energy for the HVDC Convertor Station and Prysmian for the HVDC subsea and land cable. With all major supply chain partners in place, the project remains firmly on track for energisation in 2029.

To access more information on subsea cables for offshore wind and interconnector projects, as well as transmission intelligence, click here.

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Eastern Green Link 2 receives provisional regulatory approval

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