Contracts for $2 Billion England-Scotland Power Link Awarded

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The company behind one of the U.K.'s largest-ever transmission projects has awarded contracts worth £1.8 billion (US$2.3 billion) for the Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) subsea cable between Scotland and England.

EGL1, a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission (London, England) and SP Transmission (Glasgow, Scotland), intends to deliver a 525-kilovolt (kV), 2-gigawatt (GW) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable linking Torness in East Lothian, Scotland, to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, England. The 190-kilometer (km) cable will support the transmission of renewable power to more than 2 million homes across the U.K..

Italian specialist Prysmian Group (Milan, Italy) has been awarded a £750 million (US$956 million) contract to deliver the 525-kV HVDC electricity transmission cable, which will be about 400 km long. A £1 billion (US$1.27 billion) contract for the supply and construction of two HVDC converter stations, one at each end of the link, was awarded to the Grid Solutions business of Staffordshire-based Prysmian Group (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Greek firm Mytilineos Energy & Metals (Athens, Greece).

The U.K. is transforming the electricity grid--the largest overhaul in generations--to boost the stability of the network and allow for the use of more renewables. National Grid's research estimated that there will be an estimated 400,000 job opportunities for a net zero energy workforce by 2050, including around 150,000 jobs anticipated in Scotland and the north of England. "EGL1 is a transformative project for the U.K., enhancing security of supply and helping to connect and transport green power for all customers," said EGL1's project director, Peter Roper. "These contract announcements are big wins for the supply chain and another important milestone as we build the new network infrastructure to help the U.K. meet its net zero and energy security ambitions. We look forward to working in collaboration with Prysmian, GE Vernova and Mytilneos as the project continues to progress."

This is the first of six Scotland-England subsea transmission links planned according to EGL1. Prysmian said that the majority cable portion of 176 km will be installed offshore in the North Sea with onshore sections of around 8 km and 10 km in Scotland and England, respectively. These network developments are designed to support the U.K. government's ambitious target of enabling 50 GW of offshore wind generation by 2030 and to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. Construction is planned to commence on the first link in 2025, with the new connection anticipated to be operational in 2029.

Speaking earlier about the importance of overhauling the grid, U.K. Minister for Nuclear and Networks Andrew Bowie said: "We have a world class renewables sector that help us power Britain from Britain with reliable, clean, and affordable energy for families and businesses. With investment in renewables rising by 500% since 2010, we must continue to transform our electricity network to ensure we can move power from where it is generated to where it is needed. Projects like this will do just that and help us to grow the economy, reduce bills, achieve net zero and strengthen our energy security."

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