National Grid and SP Energy Networks select a consortium of GE Vernova and MYTILINEOS Energy & Metals as preferred grid supplier for Eastern Green Link 1 HVDC converter stations

SP Transmission (SPT) and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have reached another significant milestone in the development of a new subsea electricity superhighway by selecting GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and MYTILINEOS as preferred suppliers for the project’s two required HVDC converter stations.

GE Vernova is partnering with MYTILINEOS to provide the engineering works and technology for the HVDC convertor stations which form the terminals for the HVDC cable and convert the direct current to the alternating current used in the onshore transmission network. This latest milestone is another significant step and follows on from the recent announcement of Prysmian Group being selected as the exclusive preferred bidder for the HVDC cabling contract.

The HVDC cable system is approximately 190km in length with converter stations at either end to connect it into the existing transmission network infrastructure. HVDC technology provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances subsea.

This project is also a major economic win for the UK. With our partner selections, there will be significant local content provided by UK based manufacturing, engineering, and construction industries. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business alone will be providing HVDC valves and controls systems, as well as HVDC transformers from their facilities in Staffordshire, UK, supporting the commitment to recruit and invest in the employees needed to deliver growth in this industry.

Following final approval of regulatory allowances from Ofgem, full contracts are expected to be complete later this year with construction work due to begin in 2024. The project’s targeted operational date is 2029. 

EGL1 is a key part of the significant amount of new network infrastructure required for the UK to reach net zero and will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s future security of supply, reducing dependence and price exposure to volatile global wholesale gas markets. National Grid’s research¹ has also found that there will be an estimated 400,000 job opportunities for a net zero energy workforce by 2050, including around 150,000 jobs anticipated in Scotland and the North of England.

Minister for Nuclear and Networks, Andrew Bowie said: “We have a world class renewables sector that help us power Britain from Britain with reliable, clean, and affordable energy for families and businesses.

“With investment in renewables rising by 500% since 2010, we must continue to transform our electricity network to ensure we can move power from where it is generated to where it is needed.

“Projects like this will do just that and help us to grow the economy, reduce bills, achieve net zero and strengthen our energy security.”

EGL1’s Project Director Peter Roper said: “This is a critical time for the energy sector as it drives the transition to net zero. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and MYTILINEOS as preferred suppliers, are leading specialists in this high technology field and bring considerable expertise in delivering the infrastructure required to meet the UK’s future energy needs and net zero targets.”

EGL1’s Converter Package Lead, James Goode said: “This is an important milestone for EGL1 which is part of the new network infrastructure required to help the UK meet its net zero and energy security ambitions. Along with the formal joint venture announcement, this is another key part of the project. We look forward to working in collaboration with GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and MYTILINEOS as the project continues to progress.”

“As the consortium leader, we are delighted to be chosen as a preferred supplier together with our partner MYTILINEOS in the development of a new subsea electricity superhighway, the Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) project,” said Philippe Piron, CEO at GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business. “This is recognition of our advanced HVDC technology and expertise in delivering an innovative solution, and MYTILINEOS’ expertise in the management and construction of projects of such magnitude and complexity in order to support National Grid’s net-zero energy targets.”

The UK has to undertake the largest overhaul of the grid in generations, this requires a multi-billion investment in new electricity transmission projects across the country. The upgrade, which will help move more clean energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed and play a major role in the UK moving towards its net zero target, includes three further subsea links between Scotland and England of which this joint venture is the first.

Notes to editors

¹ National Grid’s report, ‘Building the Net Zero Energy Workforce’, was written together with Development Economics and uses the Committee on Climate Change’s advice on the UK’s transition to carbon neutrality as a basis.
 

About National Grid in the UK

National Grid has launched ‘The Great Grid Upgrade’, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations and a multibillion investment in new electricity transmission projects across England and Wales. The upgrade, which will help move more clean energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed will play a major role in the UK moving towards its net zero target.

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) focuses 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.
 

About SP Transmission

SP Transmission is a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks, part of the ScottishPower group. It is responsible for the transmission of electricity in central and southern Scotland, electricity generated from power stations, windfarms and various other utilities and transporting it through a vast transmission network, consisting of over 3700 kilometres of overhead lines and over 600 kilometres of underground cables. It has over 150 substations and more than 100 grid supply points in its network where it takes the high voltage supply and reduces it to the low voltage needed for use in the home.

Its systems are crucial to the delivery of the Government’s renewable energy objectives and have a unique role in connecting renewable generation and bulk transfer of renewable energy from Scotland into England & Wales.
 

About GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business

GE Vernova is a planned, purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification segments and is supported by its accelerator businesses of Advanced Research, Consulting Services, and Financial Services. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it.

GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., with more than 80,000 employees across 140+ countries around the world. GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business electrifies the world with advanced grid technologies and systems, enabling power transmission and distribution from the point of generation to point of consumption, and supporting a decarbonized and secured energy transition.

GE Vernova’s mission is embedded in its name – it retains its legacy, 'GE', as an enduring and hard-earned badge of quality and ingenuity. 'Ver' / 'verde' signal Earth’s verdant and lush ecosystems. 'Nova', from the Latin 'novus', nods to a new, innovative era of lower carbon energy. Supported by the Company Purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova will help deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. Learn more: GE Vernova and LinkedIn.
 

About MYTILINEOS

MYTILINEOS Energy & Metals, founded in Greece in 1990, is an industrial and energy multinational company, listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, with a consolidated turnover of €6.3 billion and EBITDA of €823 million and employs more than 5,442 direct and indirect employees in Greece and abroad.

Through the Energy Sector, the company is strategically positioned at the forefront of the energy transition as an integrated 'green' utility, while through the Metallurgy Sector the Company is establishing as a benchmark for competitive 'green' metallurgy in the European landscape. Focused on sustainability, it has set a target to reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 30% by 2030 and achieve by 2050 net zero carbon footprint in all its operations in accordance with ESG criteria for Environment, Society and Governance. For more information, please visit: www.mytilineos.com | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn