Joint venture by National Grid and SSEN Transmission
National Grid and SSEN Transmission agree on a joint venture for UK’s largest ever electricity transmission project.
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UK, London: National Grid and SSEN Transmission agree on a joint venture for UK’s largest ever electricity transmission project.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) and SSEN Transmission have moved forward with the development of a new subsea electricity transmission project in Scotland after agreeing on the terms of their joint venture (JV).
The ‘Eastern Green Link 2’ (EGL2) project involves a 525 kV, 2 GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable from Peterhead in Scotland to Drax in England. This is the UK’s largest electricity transmission project to date.
The subsea HVDC cable system is approx. 436 km long and will have new converter stations at both ends to connect it into the existing transmission network infrastructure.
The EGL2 link will support larger-scale new renewable electricity generation, create jobs and enable net zero emissions targets to be reached, as well as help lessen the current electricity network constraints.
Eastern Green Link 2 is part of the new network infrastructure needed for net zero and will have a critical role in the UK’s future security of supply, reducing dependence on global gas markets.
Carl Trowell, President of UK Strategic Infrastructure at National Grid said: “The government ambition of 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 demands unprecedented scale and complexity of action. It’s essential that we find new ways to work and unite as a sector to rise to this challenge and this joint venture with SSEN is a prime example.
Eastern Green Link 2 is part of our Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations. This new infrastructure will connect more clean, renewable energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed, helping contribute to lower energy bills over the long-term and make the UK’s energy more self-sufficient.”
Maz Alkirwi, SSEN Transmission’s Finance Director said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve signed our first Joint Venture agreement with National Grid to deliver EGL2.
Connecting the North of Scotland down to Northern England and transporting renewable power to communities across the country is crucial in delivering government targets for tackling climate change. It’s an important moment in a major investment in critical national infrastructure and we’re looking forward to working with National Grid on its delivery.”
Following final approval from Ofgem work is expected to commence in 2024, with a targeted operational date of 2029.
Source: National Grid
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