We’re developing a first-of-its-kind electricity link to connect offshore wind between the UK and the Netherlands, a vital step toward an integrated North Sea grid. LionLink is an electricity link that can supply around 1.8 gigawatts of clean electricity, enough to power approximately 2.5 million homes.
The proposed Project is split into onshore and offshore elements, the LionLink onshore scheme includes
- a connection from the existing electricity grid via the proposed Friston substation. Friston Substation has already been granted development consent as part of a development by ScottishPower Renewables
- a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) underground cable between the proposed Friston Substation and our proposed converter station
- a high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station, likely to be up to 26m tall, near to Saxmundham
- a HVDC underground cable between the proposed converter station, near to Saxmundham, and a landfall point where the cable transitions from onshore to offshore
- a landfall point, either at Reydon/Southwold or Walberswick.
The LionLink offshore scheme includes
- an offshore subsea HVDC cable to connect Great Britain to the Netherlands
- an offshore converter station platform which will have capacity to connect to Dutch offshore wind. The offshore converter station will be in Dutch territorial waters and will be owned by our Dutch partners, TenneT.
To find out more about our emerging preferences for the LionLink onshore scheme, you can read our Non-Statutory Consultation Report, which is available in our Document library.