Construction begins on EGL1
Construction has started on Eastern Green Link 1, a joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission.
Image credit: National Grid/ScottishPower
UK: Construction has started on Eastern Green Link 1, a joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission. The link will transport green electricity for two million homes along >190 km of mostly undersea cable connecting the south-east of Scotland with the north-east of England.
The £2.5 billion project was given the green light by Ofgem last year and onshore works are 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. Specialist boats will then be used to lay the cable across the seabed and bury it before connecting it to the grid.
An £8 million fund has been approved by Ofgem to support communities and deliver social, environmental, and economic benefits where the cable meets land. The fund recognises the contribution communities will play in hosting energy infrastructure and strengthening energy security. The project team will be meeting with local stakeholders and communities to help shape the funding to match their needs and maximise the benefits for the community and region before it opens for applications.
Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks, said: “Eastern Green Link 1 will play a transformative role in delivering the modern electricity network needed for the future. At the same time, it will deliver economic growth, jobs, and a supply chain boost right across the UK but importantly also for the communities hosting this vital infrastructure.”
Prysmian will deliver almost 400 km of power cable needed for the route between England and Scotland. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and METLEN Energy & Metals will supply and construct HVDC converter stations at each end of the cable.
Source: National Grid/ScottishPower
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