The UK energy regulator Ofgem has granted provisional approval for an initial £24bn investment programme aimed at enabling the transmission of more clean energy from renewable sources, while maintaining critical gas networks and the electricity grid across Britain.
Over £15bn will go toward maintaining safe gas transmission and distribution, while £8.9bn is committed to Britain’s high-voltage electricity network, with another £1.3bn ready to support the grid’s biggest expansion since the 1960s, according to the regulator. The investment will upgrade over 4,400 km of overhead lines and add 3,500 km of new circuits, including offshore links, enabling up to 126 GW of clean power to be connected to the grid by 2030, along with storage and advanced technologies.
This marks the first approval phase in a broader £80bn investment programme, with around 80 transmission projects expected to be completed over the next five years.