Construction has started on the cable route for Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), a subsea link said to be the UK’s largest-ever electricity transmission project and the longest high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable in the country.
Developed by a joint venture of SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission, EGL2 involves the installation of a 505-kilometer, 2 GW HVDC subsea cable connecting Peterhead in Scotland to Drax in Yorkshire.
Construction of the project started in September 2024 .
UK-based infrastructure group Balfour Beatty, which is in charge of installing the HVDC land cables in both Scotland and England, reported yesterday, August 18, that construction on EGL2’s cable route had officially commenced.
The total cost of the link is estimated at approximately €5 billion, with a portion to be financed by a €800 million loan facility from Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) , a state-owned company that finances Swedish exporters, their subcontractors, and foreign customers.
Project completion is expected in 2029. Once operational, EGL2 will transport renewable electricity capable of powering around two million homes.