UK regulator approves £3.4b electricity superhighway

The UK energy regulator Ofgem has approved a £3.4 billion ($4.4 billion) funding package for a major electricity “superhighway” project under the North Sea.

The initiative involves laying a 500-kilometre (311-mile) cable between Scotland and northern England, capable of powering up to 2 million homes.

The approval process for this project, known as Eastern Green Link 2, has been expedited by two years under Ofgem’s fast-track funding process for offshore wind power.

This project is part of a broader effort to enhance the UK’s grid infrastructure, which is essential for transporting clean wind energy from Scotland to demand centres in England.

National Grid Plc’s Electricity System Operator estimates that £112 billion needs to be invested in the grid to achieve the country’s net-zero goals.

Construction of Eastern Green Link 2 is set to begin later this year, with the project expected to be operational by 2029. A similar but shorter project, Eastern Green Link 1, is also underway and scheduled to be operational in the same year.

Attribution: Bloomberg

Subediting: M. S. Salama