£1 billion contract awarded for UK subsea electricity superhighway

A few months after having been selected as the preferred suppliers, the consortium of GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business and MYTILINEOS Energy & Metals has secured a £1 billion contract to deliver the HVDC converter stations for the 2 GW Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) subsea electricity superhighway in the UK.

The GE Vernova–MYTILINEOS consortium was selected to supply and construct two HVDC converter stations for EGL1, a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Transmission. The news comes after the companies were named preferred suppliers in September.

EGL1 will oversee the construction of a 525kV, 2 GW bipole voltage-sourced converter (VSC) and HVDC subsea transmission cable from Torness in East Lothian, Scotland, to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, England, enabling the transmission of renewable green energy to power more than two million homes across the UK.

The consortium will provide the engineering works and technology for the two VSC HVDC converter stations, which form the terminals for the HVDC cable and convert the direct current to alternating current enabling the transmission of electricity into the onshore transmission network. The HVDC cable system is expected to be approximately 190 kilometers long.

GE Vernova will supply its VSC HVDC technology from its facilities in Stafford, UK, including its second-generation VSC valve and its eLumina HVDC control system, while MYTILINEOS will be responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of civil works, the balance of plant and installation of all equipment.

The design phase will begin in January 2024, with construction expected to begin in 2025.

“Together with our consortium partner MYTILINEOS, we are honored to have been awarded the HVDC contract for EGL1, one of the UK’s largest ever transmission projects. This critical project to the UK’s decarbonization and energy security efforts adds to a growing backlog of projects that are utilizing GE Vernova’s advanced HVDC technology,” said Philippe Piron, President and CEO of GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions.

Earlier this month Italian cabling giant Prysmian won a contract worth around €850 million for EGL1.