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. 

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.