UK’s National Grid and SSEN in JV for 2 GW electricity transmission project

• 9 months ago (2023-07-05)
• David Flin

Europe 1061 Transmission 181

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Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) has announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Britain’s National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) to build a 2 GW subsea cable linking northern Scotland to England.

The Eastern Grid Link 2 (EGL2) will be the UK’s largest electricity transmission project. It will be a 525 kW, 2GW HVDC subsea transmission cable from Peterhead in Scotland to Drax in England. SSEN said in a statement: “The EGL2 link will support the growth of new renewable electricity generation, creating jobs and delivering a pathway to net zero emissions targets, as well as helping to alleviate existing constraints on the electricity network. It is part of the significant amount of new network infrastructure required for net zero and will play a critical role in supporting the UK’s future security of supply, reducing dependence and price exposure to volatile global wholesale gas markets.”

After obtaining final regulatory approvals, work on the project is expected to start in 2024, with first operation scheduled for 2029.