Here you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about EGL2.
About EGL2
Eastern Green Link 2 (known as EGL2) is one of the most significant strategic energy infrastructure developments the UK has seen in recent years, connecting the north of Scotland to Yorkshire via the sea.
EGL2 is a 505km electricity superhighway which will enable the transfer of power from Scotland to England (and vice versa) via a subsea cable. This two-gigawatt, high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable is connecting Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire.
When operational it will be capable of transporting enough electricity to power two million homes.
Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and Drax in North Yorkshire, England, are both key hubs in the UK's energy landscape. Peterhead is an area that is becoming a hub for renewable energy generation, particularly from offshore wind, and Drax hosts a National Grid substation and overhead line infrastructure. This project is also a key part of both NGET’s ‘The Great Grid Upgrade’ and SSEN Transmission’s ‘Pathway to 2030’.
EGL2 is a key part of the UK’s drive to upgrade its electricity infrastructure, helping to meet the following challenges:
- Energy security – connecting the network to home-grown sources of renewable generation will help to ensure our electricity network is self-sufficient and less reliant on imports, in particular fossil fuels.
- Increasing demand – electricity demand in the UK is forecasted to double by 2050, EGL2 is crucial to ensuring that the network can supply homes and businesses, whilst operating to required standards.
- Energy decarbonisation – as the UK continues to phase out fossil fuels, the electricity network must be capable of delivering energy from low carbon and renewable forms of generation, including Scottish offshore wind, to homes and businesses across the country.
EGL2 is not alone in helping to meet these challenges - it is one of four Eastern Green Link projects currently in development.
There are three main sections to the construction of EGL2:
- Northern point of connection: In Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, we are building a new onshore converter station and will install underground cabling from the converter station to landfall at Sandford Bay, stretching approximately 1km.
- Marine cable route: Subsea cabling will be installed from Sandford Bay, through Scottish and English waters to landfall at Fraisthorpe Sands.
- Southern point of connection: Onshore underground cable will be installed from landfall at Fraisthorpe Sands running approximately 68km to a new onshore converter station built in Drax, North Yorkshire.
EGL2 is being delivered as a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). NGET owns and manages the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, and SSEN Transmission does the same in the north of Scotland. The two connection points of EGL2 fall within these operating areas.
A joint venture is a business arrangement in which two or more parties agree to pool their resources for the purpose of accomplishing a specific task.
By bringing together two industry leaders, our approach ensures the best possible outcomes in terms of efficiency, innovation and sustainability. The joint venture leverages the unique strengths of both partners, facilitating knowledge-sharing, risk management, and resource pooling to help meet the ambitious technical and environmental goals of the project.
EGL2 is one of four Eastern Green Link projects that are proposed between Scotland and England. EGL2 and EGL3 are being developed jointly between SSEN Transmission and NGET. EGL2 is expected to be completed in 2029 and EGL3 by the early 2030s.The other two links, EGL1 and EGL4 are being developed jointly by SP Energy Networks and NGET.
EGL3 and EGL4 are aimed at further increasing the capacity for renewable energy transmission to the Midlands and South of England. These projects are integral components of The Great Grid Upgrade, supporting the UK's energy transition and net-zero targets. Together, these projects are integral components to UK energy security and meeting net zero targets.
To find out more about the EGL projects, please visit the following:
- EGL1 - https://www.easterngreenlink1.co.uk/
- EGL3 and EGL4 in England - https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade/eastern-green-link-3-and-4
- EGL3 in Scotland - https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/eastern-green-link-3/
- EGL4 in Scotland - https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/our_transmission_network.aspx
About the transmission operators
SSEN Transmission operate under licence as Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Plc (SHE Transmission) for the transmission of electricity in the north of Scotland.
This transmission network connects large scale generation, primarily renewables, to central and southern Scotland and the rest of Great Britain.
For more information, please visit https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns, builds and maintains the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. At the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people and businesses to the energy they use every day.
For more information, please visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/
NGET is regulated by Ofgem (Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets). Further information about Ofgem is available on its website, www.ofgem.gov.uk, or by calling its Consumer Affairs team on 020 7901 7295 or emailing [email protected].
For further information, please contact the Eastern Green Link 2 Community Relations Team in England by:
Email: [email protected]
Freephone: 0808 196 8407
Freepost: Freepost EASTERN GREEN LINK 2 (no further address details or stamp required)
In Scotland, please contact Gillian Doig, Community Liaison Manager by:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07879 288666 Address: SSEN Transmission, Grampian House, 200 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 3GH