How a £3.4bn Scottish electricity 'superhighway' could deliver clean energy to two million homes

The approval of the new £3.4 billion electricity “superhighway” transmitting renewable North Sea energy to England has been deemed an “important step in laying the foundations for the UK to become a global leader in renewable energy” – but one that should be matched by investment in skills and jobs.

Energy regulator Ofgem has now approved the Eastern Green Link 2 project, a joint venture between SSEN and the National Grid, that will transport energy generated by wind farms in the North Sea from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire.

It is expected to “unlock the rich renewable energy capacity of Scotland and significantly increase the UK’s capacity to deliver clean energy for around two million homes in the UK”.

Ofgem has approved a £3.4 billion electricity "super highway" between Scotland and England in the biggest single investment for electricity transmission infrastructure in Britain. The 500-kilometre Eastern Green Link 2 project will stretch from Aberdeenshire to north Yorkshire and will transport vast amounts of renewable energy between Scotland and England.

What is the clean energy ‘superhighway’?

The single biggest investment in electricity infrastructure in Britain, Ofgem has branded it a “superhighway” that will be able to power two million homes. Work is scheduled to start this year, with the asset expected be operational by 2029, and most of the 500-kilometre interconnector cable, which will move two gigawatts of electricity between Scotland and England, will be laid under the North Sea, with the rest underground onshore.

James Alexander, chief executive of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, has given his reaction to the plan getting the green light. He said the UK's grid capacity has been a “major barrier” for investors looking to put their money into UK renewables, adding that 44 per cent of energy companies have faced challenges securing a grid connection when investing here.

“We also know there is around £115bn in international investment, which could be unlocked by resolving barriers to investment like this one,” he added. “What's important about this new connectivity is that it takes down another barrier to investment. Looking at the big picture, Ofgem are clearly ramping up their efforts in order for the UK to hit our 2030 clean power targets. This is an important step in laying the foundations for the UK to become a global leader in renewable energy."

The project will connect Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire. Picture: SSEN.

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Ofgem said Eastern Green Link 2 is the first of 26 projects to complete a fast-track process to secure funding through its new Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment framework. The project also dovetails with the UK Government having set a 50-gigawatt offshore wind connections target by the early 2030s.

Also commenting was Sue Ferns, senior deputy general secretary of union Prospect, which covers sectors including energy and environment. She said: “Approval for the new Anglo-Scottish electricity superhighway is an important acceleration in upgrading the grid to cope with the future energy makeup. To have any chance of decarbonising our energy supply by 2030, we need an integrated approach covering generation, distribution, and the supply chain. An important part of this will be ensuring that investment in infrastructure is matched by investment in skills and jobs so that we have the workforce resilience required to manage the changing network.”

Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley said on announcing the project’s approval: “Ofgem is fully committed to supporting the government to meet its aims of getting clean power by 2030. Today’s announcement is a further step in putting the regulatory systems and processes in place to speed up network regulation to achieve its aim.”