U.K. Power 'Superhighway' Gets Green Light

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--A £3.4 billion (US$4.5 billion) electricity "superhighway" designed to bring renewable energy from Scotland to England has been granted final approval in the U.K.

The twin Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) subsea power cables will run 507 kilometers from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to Drax in North Yorkshire, England, and be capable of delivering around 2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy from the many offshore windfarms located off the Scottish coast. Most of the cable--436 kilometers (km)--will be laid under the North Sea with the remaining 70 km buried underground onshore. It will be the longest high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable in the U.K. and is the country's single largest electricity transmission project ever, which will be able to supply renewable electricity to two million homes. Two converter stations, one at each end of the cable, are also planned.

The project received the final go-ahead from U.K. grid operator Ofgem, which said that EGL2 was the first of 26 major connection projects designed to boost grid capacity that are being fast-tracked under its Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework. The goal is to allow electricity generated by offshore wind to be delivered to U.K. consumers sooner while also realizing savings of up to £1.5 billion (US$2 billion) by reducing the need to compensate generators who are currently asked to turn off production during times of high wind due to lack of grid capacity. Work is expected to begin later this year with completion expected in 2029. The project is a joint venture between energy suppliers and grid operators, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (Reading, England) and National Grid plc (London, England).

Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem chief executive officer, stated: "Ofgem is fully committed to supporting the government to meet its aims of getting clean power by 2030. Today's announcement is a further step in putting the regulatory systems and processes in place to speed up network regulation to achieve its aim. Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) accelerates approval times for projects such as Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) by up to two years. However, streamlining the process does not mean blank checks for developers as we are able to step in and make financial adjustments to maximize efficiency and consumer benefit."

Ricky Saez, EGL2 project director, commented: "Ofgem's decision to issue its final project assessment decision is a major milestone. We're also delighted that Aberdeenshire Council has granted approval for our HVDC converter station near Peterhead. Not only will EGL2 will play a major role in bolstering energy security and contributing to net zero targets, it will also provide a lasting legacy in local communities where our teams are already supporting local environmental initiatives that enhance community wellbeing."

EGL2 will be followed by the EGL1 project, a 196-km HVDC subsea transmission link running from Torness, East Lothian in Scotland to Hawthorn Pit, County Durham in England. The project partners have also submitted an application for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3), a 525kV transmission line running via a 550-km HVDC subsea cable connecting Peterhead converter station to Bicker Fen converter station.

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