Construction has started on the £4.3 billion Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project with a groundbreaking ceremony on the biggest electricity transmission project in the UK.
Representatives from SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), will deliver the project as a joint venture.
The grounding breaking ceremony, at each end of the 2GW subsea electricity link, marks the start of main construction, at events held in Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire.
Groundbreaking marks a milestone in the steps towards decarbonising national energy infrastructure.
The project includes what will be the longest HVDC subsea cable in the UK (436 kilometres) and is set to provide enough green electricity to power around two million homes.
EGL2 is expected to be fully energised and operational in 2029.
The project is also planned to support skilled jobs during construction and further in the wider community through supply chain activity.
The groundbreaking ceremony included:
- Chair of the SSEN Transmission Board, Gregor Alexander
- SSEN Transmission and NGET representatives
- Key supply chain partners on the project Prysmian who will manufacture and install the cable,
- Hitachi Energy and BAM who will supply converter stations at either end of the link
- Representative from industry regulator Ofgem
This follows Ofgem confirming final approval on the costs associated with delivery of the project, allowing construction on the 525kV 2GW subsea connection to get started.
Last September, Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) took a step forward following the appointment of a consortium to its delivery team, which when completed could power more than two million homes across the UK.
EGL1 is also targeted to be operational in 2029.
SSEN Transmission Board chair Gregor Alexander said: “Today’s groundbreaking is a landmark day in this nationally critical infrastructure project, and testament to a huge collective effort from the project teams at SSEN Transmission and NGET who have worked tirelessly to get us to a stage where construction work can begin.
“EGL2 will play a major role in bolstering energy security and contributing to net zero targets, but it will also generate jobs and provide a legacy to local communities here in the north-east of Scotland, where our teams are already supporting local environmental initiatives.
“We are committed to working alongside the local community throughout the lifetime of the project and beyond, as we aim to be a positive force in the communities we operate.”
Akshay Kaul, Ofgem director general for infrastructure group, said: “Not only is construction starting on EGL2, 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.
“Harnessing homegrown clean energy will help build a secure energy future for Britain, and projects like EGL2 are pivotal in our move towards that.”
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