SSEN Transmission announced it has signed a joint venture agreement with the UK’s National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) to build a 2 gigawatt (GW) subsea cable linking Peterhead in north east Scotland to the Drax power station in Selby, North Yorkshire.
The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) will be the UK’s largest ever electricity transmission project, will create a 525 kilowatt (KW), 2 GW high voltage direct current subsea transmission cable from Peterhead to Drax, SSEN said in a statement.
“The subsea HVDC cable system is approximately 436km in length with new converter stations at either end to connect it into the existing transmission network infrastructure,” said SSEN Transmission.
“High-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances subsea.
“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.
“Eastern Green Link 2 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.”
The JV shareholders’ agreement was signed by SSEN Transmission finance director Maz Alkirwi, and Carl Trowell, National Grid’s President for UK Strategic Infrastructure.
Alkirwi 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 a massive credit to the teams at SSEN Transmission and NGET for getting us to this big milestone.
“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.”
Trowell said: “The government ambition of 50GW 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.
“Congratulations to all the colleagues involved and we now look forward to working with SSEN as the project continues to develop.”
Following final approval from Ofgem, work is expected to commence in 2024, with a targeted operational date of 2029.
SSEN Transmission said it will invest over £10 billion to upgrade the network around key areas, connecting new onshore and offshore renewables generation in the north of Scotland.