Regulator to help pay for Eastern Green Link 1 cable to reduce reliance on foreign power

Ofgem has green-lit a £2bn funding package for a new subsea power cable to carry renewable energy from Scottish wind farms to England. 

Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) is a planned 2GW high voltage direct current to be built between the Torness area in East Lothian and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. 

The UK regulator is set to bankroll a 196km cable, most of which will be under the North Sea, with the remaining 20km of cables underground, linking to substations and converter stations in Scotland and England. 

Offshore wind farm in Scotland

Source: Shutterstock

The cable will run from offshore wind farms in Scotland to County Durham before being linked to substatios across England and Scotland

Work on EGL1, a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks, is expected to begin in 2025. 

Zac Richardson, offshore delivery director for National Grid said: “We now look forward to delivering supply chain contracts, jobs, and skills, and helping to fulfil the government’s ambition for the UK to be a clean energy superpower.”

The National Energy System Operator has said the project will save the country over £870m annually by increasing grid capacity and lowering consumer bills. 

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