The commencement of a monumental €5.1 billion electricity superhighway between Scotland and England has broken ground with a dual ceremony at the project’s terminal points. The EGL2 endeavor, an ambitious 2GW subsea electrical link, will usher in a new era for the UK’s power infrastructure.
Key figures from National Grid and SSEN Transmission attended the groundbreaking at both ends of the link—Peterhead, Scotland, and Wren Hall in Drax, North Yorkshire, England—symbolizing the start of this pivotal infrastructure project.
The EGL2 subsea cable, destined to span 436 kilometers beneath the sea from Peterhead, will make landfall on East Yorkshire’s Fraisthorpe Sands, after which it will be routed underground for another 68 kilometers to a new HVDC (high-voltage direct current) converter station at Drax. Upon completion, this massive link will bolster Scotland’s renewable energy arsenal, while also fortifying the UK’s ability to supply clean power to approximately two million homes.
EGL2 is the pioneering venture of four planned 2GW subsea projects set to connect Scotland and England. Collectively, these initiatives—collaboratively spearheaded by National Grid—are forecasted to generate enough renewable electricity to energize eight million households.
During the opening remarks, Zac Richardson, National Grid’s offshore delivery director, underscored the significance of the event: “Today is a landmark for everyone engaged in this project, underscoring the steadfast dedication of both National Grid and SSEN in executing crucial infrastructure projects that will propel the UK toward a net-zero carbon future. EGL2 is the foremost of four proposed subsea initiatives, and together, these could eventually deliver the clean energy required to power eight million homes.”
Construction activities are now in full swing at the Wren Hall Converter Station in Drax, with site preparations and vegetation clearance well underway. Surveys along the underground cable’s route are expected to continue in the coming months.
The project, which stands as a major leap in the UK’s renewable energy ambitions, is slated to be fully operational by 2029.