The £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) project will see the creation of a 190km high voltage subsea cable connecting Torness in East Lothian with Hawthorn Pit in County Durham to distribute electricity from offshore wind turbines.
GE Vernova business from the USA and Greece’s Mytilineos Energy & Metals will build two high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations, one at each end of the cable.
Italy’s Prysmian Group was selected as preferred bidder for the HVDC cabling contract in May this year. With a power transmission capacity of 2 GW the connection is expected to be the first cable system in the UK to use 525 kV technology with extruded XLPE insulation.
Despite handing all the major contracts to overseas companies, National Grid and Scottish Power say there will still be some British content. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business will supply HVDC valves, controls systems and transformers from its facilities in Staffordshire.
Following final regulatory approval from Ofgem, contracts are expected to be complete later this year with construction work starting in 2024. The project’s targeted operational date is 2029.
EGL1 project director Peter Roper said: “This is a critical time for the energy sector as it drives the transition to net zero. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and Mytilineos as preferred suppliers, are leading specialists in this high technology field and bring considerable expertise in delivering the infrastructure required to meet the UK’s future energy needs and net zero targets.”
Eastern Green Link 1 is one of four subsea links between Scotland and England being installed to overhaul the transmission grid as part of the UK’s move towards cleaner energy sources.
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