The UK power transmission system operator (TSO) National Grid has started construction works on the 2 GW Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) to connect Scotland to England (United Kingdom). The 436 km-long 525 kV high voltage current (HVDC) subsea cable is expected to connect Peterhead, Scotland to East Yorkshire coast, England, to then run 68 km underground to a new HVDC converter station at Drax (England). The £4.3bn (€5.2bn) project is expected to unlock access to Scotland’s renewable energy capacity and increase the United Kingdom’ s capacity to deliver clean energy to approximately 2 million homes.
The EGL2 is the first of four currently proposed 2 GW projects between Scotland and England (EGL1, EGL2, EGL3 and the EGL4) to begin construction and these projects have the potential to provide enough renewable electricity to power 8 million homes.
The United Kingdom aims to decarbonise the electricity sector by 2030.