The UK’s energy regulator, Ofgem, has approved the fast-tracking of the Anglo-Scottish electricity “superhighway” project, EGL2, under its Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework. This initiative is designed to expedite 26 major grid connection projects, aiming to boost grid capacity and save an estimated £1.5 billion ($1.92 billion).
EGL2 is the first of these projects to secure funding under the ASTI framework. The project will establish a 2GW high-voltage electricity cable link between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire, with 436km of the cable laid under the North Sea and 70km buried underground onshore.
Two converter stations will be built at each end of the cable to facilitate electricity transmission into the grid, ultimately supplying power to up to two million UK homes. The project is expected to reduce the need to curtail wind production during high-wind periods due to grid capacity limitations.
Ofgem had initially approved the £3.4 billion funding for EGL2 in March. The ASTI framework has accelerated the project timeline by two years, ensuring that electricity generated from offshore wind reaches British consumers sooner.
Development on the EGL2 project is slated to begin in late 2024, with completion expected by 2029.