Construction has officially commenced on a 2GW subsea electricity link between Scotland and England, known as the EGL2 project.
The £4.3 billion initiative, led by National Grid and SSEN Transmission, was marked by a groundbreaking event at both ends of the project—in Peterhead, Scotland, and Wren Hall, near Drax in North Yorkshire.
The EGL2 subsea cable will span 436km from Peterhead under the North Sea, coming ashore at Fraisthorpe Sands on the East Yorkshire coast.
From there, it will run 68km underground to a new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station in Drax. The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs during peak construction.
National Grid's Offshore Delivery Director, Zac Richardson, highlighted the project's significance, stating, “Today marks an important moment for all involved in the project and the commitment of both National Grid and SSEN in delivering major projects which will play a key role in supporting the UK's transition to a net zero economy.” He added that this is the first of four proposed 2GW projects, which collectively aim to provide enough renewable electricity to power eight million homes.
Ofgem's Director General for Infrastructure Group, Akshay Kaul, emphasized the importance of the project, noting, “Today is a historic occasion. Not only is construction starting on EGL2, Britain's biggest ever electricity transmission project, but we're also standing here two years earlier than we might have been thanks to Ofgem's fast track new process which cuts red tape to get consumers across the country connected to renewable energy more quickly.”
The EGL2 project is slated for completion in 2029 and is pivotal to the UK's push towards a sustainable energy future.
