Eastern HVDC
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Eastern HVDC and Eastern HVDC projects are the names used by
Ofgem , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ofgem logo.svg , logo_width = 124px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_widt ...
for two planned HVDC submarine power cables from the East coast of Scotland to Northeast England to strengthen the National Grid. The two links combined will deliver 4GW of
renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
from Scottish
wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundre ...
s to England. Ofgem state that "At an estimated cost of £3.4billion for the two links, the Eastern HVDC projects would be the largest electricity transmission investment project in the recent history of Great Britain."


Eastern HVDC projects

In July 2022,
Ofgem , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ofgem logo.svg , logo_width = 124px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_widt ...
published its conditional decision on the ''Final needs case'' for the Eastern HVDC project, confirming its choice of two separate HVDC links, each rated at 2GW. * Scotland-England Green Link 1 (SEGL1) will run from Torness in Southeast Scotland to Hawthorn Pit substation in county Durham * Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) is will run from Peterhead, near Aberdeen, to Drax in Yorkshire Ofgem approved the schemes as part of its Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment Framework.


Scotland-England Green Link 1 (SEGL1)


Current status

In December 2022, the connection received approval from the UK energy regulator Ofgem. As of July 2021, construction was expected to start in 2023, with the construction phase complete in 2027.


Route

SEGL1 will run from Torness in Southeast Scotland to Hawthorn Pit substation in Northeast England. Landfall in England will be to the North of Seaham, on the Durham Coast.


Technical specification

The cable will carry 2 GW. The DC voltage will be +/-525kV, using voltage source converter (VSC) technology, carried on cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cables, with a fall back option of mass impregnated (MI) cables.


Economic case

The investment required is £1.294billion.


Project partners

SEGL1 is being developed by Scottish Power Transmission plc (SPT) and National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (National Grid).


Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2)


Current status

Contracts to construct the cable were finalised in February 2024, and work is scheduled to commence after final approvals from OfGEM.


EGL2 Project History

In December 2022, the connection received approval from the UK energy regulator
Ofgem , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ofgem logo.svg , logo_width = 124px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_widt ...
. In December 2022, the project was in the "early development" stage. In December 2022, early enabing works were expected in 2024, with the main construction phase starting in 2025. Target date for energisation was 2029.


Route

The cable will run from Sandford Bay, at
Peterhead Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...
in Scotland, to the Drax Power Station in Yorkshire, England. The northern converter station will be next to the existing power station at Peterhead. The subsea portion of the cable will be approximately long, from the Aberdeenshire coast to the East Riding of Yorkshire.


Technical specification

The cable will carry 2 GW. The DC voltage will be +/-525kV, using Voltage Source converter (VSC) technology, carried on Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cables, with a fall back option of mass impregnated (MI) cables.


Economic case

The investment required is £2.1billion. It is needed to reinforce the National Grid, to "alleviate existing and future constraints on the electricity transmission network", and support new renewable electricity generation.


Project partners

EGL2 is a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). The main contractors are Prysmian, Hitachi Energy, and BAM.


See also

Western HVDC Link The Western HVDC Link is a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) undersea electrical link in the United Kingdom, between Hunterston in Western Scotland and Flintshire Bridge (Connah's Quay) in North Wales, routed to the west of the Isle of Man. It ...


References

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External links


SEGL1 project website at Scottish Power Energy Networks (where it is known as the "Eastern Link Project")

EGL2 project website at SSEN, where it is known as "Eastern Green Link 2"

EGL2 project website at National Grid, where it is known as "Scotland to England Green Link SEGL2"
Electrical interconnectors to and from Great Britain Submarine power cables