The project will transport green electricity sufficient for two million households. Credit: Iberdrola, S.A.

Iberdrola has announced the start of construction on the Eastern Green Link 1 subsea electricity superhighway project between Scotland and England.

 The £2.5bn ($3.1bn) project is a joint venture between ScottishPower (SP) Energy Networks, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET).

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The 190km subsea cable connects the southeast of Scotland with the northeast of England to transport green electricity sufficient for two million homes.

The initiative, approved by British energy regulator Ofgem in 2024, has initiated onshore works, with offshore construction expected to begin in the summer of 2025.

Minister for Housing and Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Lothian Paul McLennan stated: “As a key energy hub, East Lothian is at the heart of Scotland’s renewable growth, driving economic opportunities for both the region and the country.”

Converter stations will be constructed at the two landfall points, Torness in East Lothian and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, to transition the electricity from alternating to direct current.

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Specialist vessels will lay the cable across the seabed and bury it along the route before integrating it into the grid.

Ofgem has approved an £8m fund to support the communities where the infrastructure meets land, delivering social, environmental and economic benefits.

NGET strategic infrastructure president Carl Trowell stated: “The electricity projects we are delivering from now to 2030 and beyond, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK are monumental. They will meet future energy demand, achieve greater energy security alongside the delivery of cleaner power, and will help to contribute to lower bills for consumers.”

In December 2023, NGET and SP Energy Networks selected Prysmian to supply 400km of power cable for the 190km route.

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and METLEN Energy & Metals will provide and construct two high-voltage direct current converter stations, one at each end of the cable.

SP Energy Networks and NGET also operate the Western Link, the world’s highest capacity subsea cable, connecting Hunterston in Scotland to Connah’s Quay in Wales.

SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly stated: “Eastern Green Link 1 will play a transformative role in delivering the modern electricity network needed for the future.  At the same time, it will deliver economic growth, jobs and a supply chain boost right across the UK but importantly also for the communities hosting this vital infrastructure.”

In March 2024, Ofgem approved a £3.4bn provisional funding package for Eastern Green Link 2, a 2GW subsea and underground cable linking Scotland to Yorkshire.