Groundbreaking ceremony marks start of construction on £4.3bn electricity superhighway between Scotland and England

In a significant milestone in the step towards decarbonising the energy system, representatives from National Grid and SSEN Transmission took the first ceremonial spadefuls of earth, marking the start of main construction, at events held at either end of the subsea link in Peterhead in Scotland and Wren Hall in Drax, near Selby in North Yorkshire.

After travelling 436km under the sea from Peterhead, EGL2’s subsea cable will come ashore on the East Yorkshire coast at Fraisthorpe Sands and then run underground for 68km to a new high voltage current (HVDC) converter station at Drax. Once complete, it will unlock the rich renewable energy capacity of Scotland and significantly increase the UK’s capacity to deliver clean energy for around two million homes.

At peak periods of construction, the project is expected to support hundreds of local jobs in Yorkshire, through supply chain and construction activity. More than 200 representatives from local businesses attended a buyer event earlier this year, covering a diverse range of skillsets from plant hire and catering to steel fixing and logistics. The range of services and expertise showcased the breadth of sectors operating within the region and confirmed National Grid’s commitment to use local suppliers where possible, creating employment opportunities and establishing shorter supply chains to boost sustainability.

Representatives from National Grid were joined in Yorkshire by colleagues from specialist HVDC cable supplier, Prysmian, and Hitachi Energy and BAM, responsible for the supply of converter stations at either end of the project, underlining the collaborative spirit and support for the much-anticipated scheme.

EGL2 is the first of four currently proposed 2GW projects between Scotland and England to begin construction and in total these projects, delivered in partnership by National Grid, could provide enough renewable electricity to power eight million homes.

Commenting at the ceremony, Offshore Delivery Director for National Grid, Zac Richardson said: “Today marks an important moment for all involved in the project and the commitment of both National Grid and SSEN in delivering major projects that will play a key role in supporting the UK’s transition to a net zero economy.

“EGL2 is the first of four currently proposed 2GW projects between Scotland and England to begin construction and in total these projects, delivered in partnership by National Grid, could provide enough renewable electricity to power eight million homes.

“Achieving this first milestone wouldn't have been possible without the huge commitment of the project team, our construction partners, stakeholders and the invaluable feedback from local communities.”

Akshay Kaul, Ofgem Director General for Infrastructure Group, said: “Today is a historic occasion. Not only is construction starting on EGL2, Britain’s biggest ever electricity transmission project, 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.  This is the first project to successfully complete our new process and many more major energy projects are going through this fast-track pipeline. Our involvement with EGL2 doesn’t end here we stand poised to step in if needed to ensure maximise efficiency and consumer benefit.”   

Wren Hall Converter Station in Drax has seen the start of main construction activities this month, including site establishment and vegetation clearance. Surveys are expected to continue along the underground cable route in the coming months.

The project is expected to be operational in 2029.

Notes to editors

*At a total expected nominal investment of around £4.3bn, it is the single largest-ever investment in electricity transmission infrastructure in Great Britain and one of the most significant, strategic investments in energy infrastructure the country has seen in recent years. Ofgem calculated a total expected nominal investment figure of £3.4bn, which is based on 2018/19 prices, the base for the price control. Adjusted for inflation this equates to around £4.3bn.

National Grid is proposing to deliver four subsea links between Scotland and England.

Eastern Green Link 1, a joint venture in partnership with SP Energy Networks 

Eastern Green Link 2 a joint venture in partnership with SSEN Transmission

Eastern Green Link 3 a joint venture in partnership with SSEN Transmission

Eastern Green Link 4 a joint venture in partnership with SP Energy Networks 

When we are developing new electricity infrastructure projects, we consider all technology options, including underground and subsea cables, and onshore overhead lines and share them at public consultation. The government and our regulator Ofgem require us to assess our proposals against a range of factors, including value for money to bill payers and impact on the community and environment to ensure they are in line with current planning policy, licence obligations and net zero targets.