Development consent granted for UKs largest green electricity transmission reinforcement project

Planning consent for a new subsea electricity superhighway between Scotland and England has now been granted by all relevant authorities.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission (SSEN) and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have reached another significant milestone in the development of a new subsea electricity superhighway, as planning consents for all the onshore and offshore elements of the project have been granted by all three local planning authorities, and by both the Marine Management Organisation in England and Marine Scotland, in Scotland.

Eastern Green Link 2, a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and NGET, will be the longest high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable in the UK – providing enough capacity to power more than two million homes if granted regulatory approval by Ofgem – and is essential to meet the UK’s net zero commitments and deliver a cleaner, greener and more secure energy future.

Once complete, EGL2 will run from a new converter station and landfall point at Sandford Bay, Peterhead, under the North Sea, to a landfall point at Fraisthorpe, on the East Yorkshire coast. Once onshore in England, it will run underground to a new converter station next to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire.

Four planning elements have been considered by local authorities and marine management organisations in England and Scotland:

Consent for a converter station and new pylon compound, in Peterhead, Scotland

Planning Permission in Principle was granted by Aberdeenshire Council on 20 May 2022 for the HVDC converter station and on 3 February 2023 for a pylon compound joining the high-voltage underground cable to the overhead line.

Consent for subsea cable in English and Scottish Waters

Marine licences have been granted by both the Marine Management Organisation and Marine Scotland on 28 July and 5 May 2023 respectively for EGL2’s 436km subsea cable.

Consent for underground cable in East Yorkshire, England

Full planning permission was granted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council on 3 May 2023 for the majority of project’s onshore underground cable. The planning application was submitted by National Grid Electricity Transmission.

Consent for a new converter station and section of underground cable in North Yorkshire, England

Outline planning permission for the HVDC converter station, located adjacent Drax power station, and full planning permission for the section of onshore cable in North Yorkshire was granted by North Yorkshire Council on 11 August 2023.
 

Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with a targeted operational date of 2029.

Find out more here.