Energy regulator Ofgem has approved a £3.4 billion electricity ‘superhighway’ designed to transport renewable energy from the North Sea to England.
The subsea power cable, known as the Eastern Green Link project, will deliver electricity generated by Scottish wind farms to power two million homes in England, according to Ofgem.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the cable stretching from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to North Yorkshire and becoming operational by 2029.
The majority of the 500km cable will be laid beneath the North Sea, with a small portion running underground on land.
This project, a joint venture between SSEN and National Grid, represents the largest investment in the UK’s electricity grid to date and is the first of 26 connection projects that Ofgem plans to fast-track to help meet Labour’s goal of achieving clean power by 2030.
Ofgem has stated that the project is 'vital to upgrade the energy system' and could result in approximately £1.5 billion in savings.
Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem's chief executive, commented:
Ofgem is fully committed to supporting the government’s goal of securing clean power by 2030. Today's announcement is a further step in establishing the regulatory systems and processes necessary to accelerate network regulation towards this goal.
Source: www.holyrood.com “New £3.2m electricity ‘superhighway’ between Scotland and England gets go ahead”. By Sofia Villegas
