Key contract move in bid for 14km high voltage electrical link through Fife
Plans to create an electricity cable link from Fife to the south of England have taken a step forward.
SP Energy Networks’ proposal is one of four proposed subsea electricity superhighways along Britain’s east coast which, together, have the potential to transport enough clean, green electricity to power eight million homes.
Its Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4) would be a 530km, high voltage direct current ( HVDC) subsea cable link that would come ashore near Kinghorn, with a 16km underground cable route connecting the landfall site to a new converter station next to the Westfield substation at Ballingry - sending the power down to Norfolk.
This week, the company behind the plan - which has sparked some concerns locally - and the National Grid selected Siemens Energy as its preferred bidder to deliver two converter stations.
It follows an extensive competitive procurement process and marks a crucial step for delivery of this strategically important project, ahead of full contract award.
Much of the UK’s new offshore and onshore wind generation is in or around Scotland, but the existing transmission network does not have the capacity to move all this cleaner electricity to where it is most needed.
New long-distance, bi-directional, subsea infrastructure like EGL4 is essential in strengthening Britain’s energy security with home-grown energy and keeping bills more affordable by reducing reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels.
EGL4 recently concluded its second stage of public consultation at both ends of the link and is utilising this feedback to inform the projects’ development which includes a planning application in Scotland, expected late summer 2025,and an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in England in2026. Construction is currently expected to begin in 2029, with the link becoming operational in 2033.
James Goode, project director at National Grid, said: “EGL4 will help create the capacity our electricity system needs for the future, connecting clean, home-grown energy to homes and businesses and strengthening the UK’s energy security.”
Iain Adams, deputy project director and head of converter delivery, added: “The east coast of Britain is playing a vital role in transforming the electricity network as we build another bi-directional link between Scotland and England, helping to reduce constraints on the network, increase energy security and promote economic growth.”