Onshore construction begins for 2GW Eastern Green Link 1 subsea superhighway project.

Iberdrola has announced the start of onshore construction on the 2GW Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) subsea electricity superhighway project between Scotland and England.

Eastern Green Link 1 is a joint venture (JV) between Iberdrola’s subsidiary, ScottishPower Energy Networks (SP Energy Networks), and National Grid Electricity Transmission. The transmission project entails an investment of £2.5bn.

The 190km long Eastern Green Link 1 involves a 525kV bipolar voltage-sourced converter (VSC) and a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable from Torness in East Lothian, Scotland to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, England.

Once completed, the east-coast subsea link is expected to transport clean electricity to two million households. The subsea electricity superhighway project is slated to be operational by 2029.

UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “This new electric superhighway will help us on our way by transporting more renewable energy under the North Sea to power millions of homes and businesses, while supporting skilled jobs in our industrial heartlands and saving billpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.”

Eastern Green Link 1 was approved by Ofgem last year. Offshore works at the project are scheduled to begin in the summer.

As part of the development, two converter stations will be built at both landfall points to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), enabling efficient long-distance power transmission.

Specialised vessels will lay and bury the cable along the seabed before connecting it to the national grid.

SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly said: “Eastern Green Link 1 will play a transformative role in delivering the modern electricity network needed for the future.

“At the same time, it will deliver economic growth, jobs and a supply chain boost right across the UK but importantly also for the communities hosting this vital infrastructure.”

In December 2023, National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks selected Prysmian to supply nearly 400km of power cables for the project.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and METLEN Energy & Metals were also appointed to construct the two HVDC converter stations.