National Grid selects Siemens Energy as preferred bidder for Sea Link’s HVDC converter stations in Suffolk and Kent
- Sea Link is a proposed new 2-gigawatt (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity transmission system and includes converter stations, one built in Suffolk and one in Kent, linked by a 138km 525 kV marine cable, routed through the southern North Sea and across the Thames Estuary.
- By connecting the two parts of the network, Sea Link will create significant and much needed additional capacity in both regions, as well as across the wider transmission network.
- Preferred bidder selection represents a significant milestone for Sea Link following an extensive competitive procurement process. Sea Link is seeking planning consent and if successful will enter its construction phase, expected to begin in 2027.
National Grid has reached a significant milestone in the development of the Sea Link project by selecting Siemens Energy as preferred bidder for the project’s two HVDC converter stations. Achieving the preferred bidder milestone represents the crucial step towards securing market capacity, as well as allowing National Grid and Siemens Energy to begin the planning needed for project delivery before full contract award.
New electricity reinforcement is needed in both Kent and Suffolk to carry renewable and low-carbon power to homes, businesses and public services. The proposed 138km connection, from Pegwell Bay in Kent to a point on the Suffolk coast between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, will run mostly under the sea.
HVDC technology provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances, in this case, via subsea cables. New terrestrial cables will then link the converter stations at either end to the existing transmission network infrastructure so that electricity can be made available to where it is needed.
Sea Link, part of National Grid’s The Great Grid Upgrade, is a key part of the significant amount of new network infrastructure required for the UK to increase electricity capacity as demand for energy is set to double. It will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s future security of supply, ensuring more renewable and low-carbon power reaches homes, business and public services.
Sea Link Project Director Adrian Pierssene said: “This is a major milestone for Sea Link – a vital part of Great Britain’s energy network, designed to meet rising demand and strengthen energy security. Siemens Energy, a leader in advanced energy technology, brings specialist expertise that will support the delivery of the infrastructure needed for the UK’s future energy network.”
Mark Pilling, Vice President of Grid Solutions Europe at Siemens Energy said: “Sea Link is another crucial step in our efforts to meet the UK’s expanding electricity needs, delivering security of supply and reinforcing our grid – a key part of our energy transition. We’re looking forward to continuing our strong working relationship with National Grid.”
The decision to announce a preferred bidder for the project does not pre-empt or prejudice any decision on the Development Consent Order application which is being considered by the Planning Inspectorate.
About National Grid in the UK
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system. The individual companies in our group run the networks and infrastructure that connect millions of people to the electricity they use every day.
Our regulated businesses own and develop the high voltage electricity transmission (ET) network in England and Wales, and the electricity distribution (ED) network in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales. Operating separately from these core regulated units, National Grid Ventures (NGV) focusses on competitive markets, investing in energy projects, technologies and partnerships such as electricity interconnectors.
We bring energy to life, with an ambition to serve our customers well, support the communities in which we operate, and make possible a clean, affordable and resilient energy network of the future.
The Great Grid Upgrade is the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations. Our infrastructure projects across England and Wales are helping to connect more renewable energy to your homes and businesses. It will help the UK switch to clean energy and make sure our electricity network is fit for the future; carrying more clean, secure energy from where it’s generated to where you need it.
