Development consent granted for UK’s EGL2
Development consent has been granted for UK’s largest green electricity transmission reinforcement project, EGL2.
Image for illustration purposes.
UK, Peterhead: Development consent has been granted for UK’s largest green electricity transmission reinforcement project, EGL2.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission (SSEN) and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have reached another significant milestone in the development of a new subsea electricity superhighway, as planning consents for all the onshore and offshore elements of the project have been granted by all three local planning authorities, and by both the Marine Management Organisation in England and Marine Scotland, in Scotland.
Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and NGET, will be the longest high voltage direct current (HVDC) 525 kV, 2 GW subsea transmission cable in the UK – providing enough capacity to power more than two million homes if granted regulatory approval by Ofgem – and is essential to meet the UK’s net zero commitments and deliver a cleaner, greener, and more secure energy future.
Once complete, EGL2 will run from a new converter station at Sandford Bay, Peterhead, under the North Sea, to Fraisthorpe. Once onshore in England, it will run underground to a new converter station next to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire.
Four planning elements have been considered by local authorities and marine management organisations in England and Scotland, and the following consents have been granted:
consent for a HVDC converter station and a new pylon compound in Peterhead, joining the high-voltage underground cable to the overhead line,
consent for subsea cable in English and Scottish waters for EGL2’s 436 km subsea cable,
consent for underground cable in East Yorkshire, England for the majority of the project’s onshore underground cable,
consent for a new HVDC converter station and a section of the onshore underground cable in North Yorkshire, England.
Sarah Sale, EGL2 Deputy Project Director, said: “We are delighted that our plans for the onshore and offshore elements of our project have been approved by all local planning authorities and marine licencing organisations. This renewable electricity superhighway is vital in supporting the UK’s transition to net zero and decarbonisation and we’re thrilled to be making such a significant contribution with the largest electricity transmission reinforcement project in the UK.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with a targeted operational date of 2029.
Source: National Grid
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