Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty officially began construction of the overland cable route for Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), one of the most ambitious electricity transmission projects in the United Kingdom.
This 505 km long high voltage direct current (HVDC) link will connect Peterhead in Scotland with Drax in North Yorkshire, strengthening the UK’s electricity grid with renewable energy.
More details about Eastern Green Link 2
The EGL2 connection is a collaboration between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission and has the capacity to transport up to 2 gigawatts of clean energy. According to official estimates, this capacity will power approximately 2 million homes, contributing to the UK’s targets towards net zero.
Balfour Beatty is in charge of the installation of the HVDC terrestrial cables at both ends of the link, on both Scottish and English soil. The construction phase of the terrestrial cable route is already underway and the complete infrastructure is expected to be operational by 2029. For its part, the submarine cable will form the central section of the link and will run through the North Sea.
With an estimated investment of close to EUR 5 billion, EGL2 has secured significant financial support, including an 800 million loan from the Swedish Export Credit Corporation. 800 million loan provided by the Swedish Export Credit Corporation. This support reflects the international relevance of the project in the framework of European energy security.
As the longest HVDC cable ever built in the country, EGL2 has become a strategic piece of the UK’s electricity infrastructure. This “green highway” will enable efficient, low environmental impact transmission from areas of high renewable generation in the north to consumption centers in the south.
Source and photo: Balfour Beatty
