National Grid PLC said Wednesday it had awarded contracts totaling nearly GBP 3 billion ($4 billion) to Hitachi Energy Ltd and NKT A/S for the supply of converter stations and the cable system for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3).
EGL3, along with EGL4, is a high-voltage electricity link between Scotland and England designed to integrate more offshore wind energy into the grid. EGL3 and EGL4 are proposed to start from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire and Westfield, Fife respectively and converge in Walpole, Norfolk.
National Grid, through National Grid Electricity Transmission PLC (NGET), is jointly developing EGL3 with SSE PLC’s Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission and EGL4 with Iberdrola SA’s SP Energy Networks.
“The EGL3 contracts confirm Hitachi Energy as the delivery partner for the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and West Norfolk, England, and NKT as the delivery partner for the subsea and underground cable that will link the converter stations”, National Grid said in a press release.
“Together, these agreements, totaling nearly GBP3 billion, will see the delivery of a 690-km [428.5 miles] high-voltage link, including approximately 580km offshore between Scotland and England, capable of transporting enough power for two million homes – making EGL3 the largest electricity transmission project of its kind in the UK.
“Once operational, EGL3 will play a central role in reducing constraint costs – the payments made when wind farms are asked to turn down generation due to limited grid capacity.
“With renewable generation strongest offshore and along the east coast and in Scotland, EGL3 will help remove transmission bottlenecks so that cleaner, homegrown electricity can flow to where it is needed”.
EGL3 has already received planning consent in principle for the converter station site, the Netherton Hub project, in Scotland. EGL3 has also held two rounds of public consultation on planned works in England, with a planning application expected to be submitted this year, according to National Grid.
“Subject to approval by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, construction is due to begin in 2028, with the link expected to be energized in 2033”, National Grid said.
Last month National Grid announced the award of a GBP 2 billion contract to Italy’s Prysmian SpA for EGL4’s cable.
“The contract will see Prysmian manufacture and deliver over 640km of cable for the 2-GW subsea electricity link, which will use high voltage direct current to connect Fife in Scotland and Norfolk in England”, National Grid said in a statement February 2.
“Once completed in 2033, it will be capable of transporting enough green electricity to power more than 1.5 million homes”.
National Grid expects to submit planning applications for EGL4 in Scotland and England this year.
Prysmian is already supplying the cable for the 2-gigawatt EGL1 between Torness in Scotland and Hawthorn Pit in England, also a project between NGET and SP Energy Networks that started construction last year.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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