Nationwide Grid Electrical energy Transmission (NGET) and SSEN Transmission have agreed the phrases of a three way partnership to construct a subsea energy “superhighway” linking northeast Scotland and England.
The ‘Japanese Inexperienced Hyperlink 2’ (EGL2) venture would see the creation of a 525kW, 2GW high-voltage direct present (HVDC) subsea transmission cable laid between Sandford Bay in Peterhead, Scotland, and Drax in England.
Billed by the grid managers because the UK’s “single largest electrical energy transmission venture ever”, the cable would measure round 270 miles in size. New converter stations could be constructed at both finish to attach it to present community infrastructure.
They’ve described the hyperlink as “important” to assuaging constraints on the UK transmission system, enabling development in renewables and supporting the transition to web zero.
After 9 months of labor from tasks groups at SSEN Transmission and NGET, the JV shareholders’ settlement was signed by Maz Alkirwi, SSEN Transmission’s Finance Director and Carl Trowell, Nationwide Grid’s President for UK Strategic Infrastructure, at an official ceremony in London final week.
NGET’s Mr Trowell mentioned: “The federal government ambition of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 calls for unprecedented scale and complexity of motion. It’s important that we discover new methods to work and unite as a sector to rise to this problem and this three way partnership with SSEN is a major instance.
“Japanese Inexperienced Hyperlink 2 is a part of our Nice Grid Improve, the most important overhaul of the grid in generations. This new infrastructure will join extra clear, renewable vitality from the place it’s generated to the place it’s wanted, serving to contribute to decrease vitality payments over the long-term and make the UK’s vitality extra self-sufficient.
“Congratulations to all of the colleagues concerned and we now look ahead to working with SSEN because the venture continues to develop.
SSEN finance director Mr Alkirwi added: “I’m completely delighted that we’ve signed our first Joint Enterprise settlement with Nationwide Grid to ship EGL2. Connecting the North of Scotland right down to Northern England and transporting renewable energy to communities throughout the nation is essential in delivering authorities targets for tackling local weather change.
“It’s an vital second in a serious funding in important nationwide infrastructure and we’re trying ahead to working with Nationwide Grid on its supply.
Work to progress the venture will now be taken ahead as a proper three way partnership between SSEN Transmission and NGET.
Following last approval from Ofgem work is anticipated to start in 2024, with a focused operational date of 2029.
Backers beforehand warned that delays to the scheme would price tens of millions in constraint funds for ratepayers and pressed the regulator to approve the cable.
The preliminary £1.3bn Japanese Hyperlink venture runs from Torness in East Lothian, Scotland to Hawthorn Pit, County Durham, and is being collectively managed by SP Vitality Networks and NGET.
Nationwide Grid’s ‘Nice Grid Improve’ may also see three additional subsea hyperlinks between Scotland and England, and proposals within the Humber and East Anglia (together with an extra subsea hyperlink between Suffolk and Kent).
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