SSEN Transmission has secured the marine license for subsea cable infrastructure in Scottish waters for the 2 GW Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) high-voltage subsea electricity link between Scotland and England.
EGL3, a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), will run between Longside in Aberdeenshire and Walpole in Norfolk.
The marine license, awarded on November 11, covers the installation and operation of the project’s subsea cable infrastructure in Scottish waters, including nearshore work where the cable will meet land near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.
This follows several years of project development, marine surveys and ecological and environmental assessment work to understand the habitats and species present along the proposed cable route.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have been granted the marine licence for the Scottish waters section of the subsea cable route on EGL3. This marks a really significant moment for the project and reflects many years of design development and marine survey activities which have underpinned this successful outcome today," said James Johnson, Joint Venture Program Director at SSEN Transmission.
“Developing infrastructure of this scale in the marine environment requires careful planning and collaboration. Throughout the development, we have worked closely with local communities, marine stakeholders and other offshore developers and asset owners, whose feedback has helped shape our plans and minimise potential impacts wherever possible."
Construction of EGL3 is proposed to start in 2029, with the aim of the link being fully operational by 2033.
Under a contract worth over €2.2 billion, NKT will deliver a turnkey scope to design, manufacture, and install a 525 kV HVDC power cable system with a route length of around 680 kilometers, including onshore and offshore cable sections, for the project. Hitachi Energy will deliver HVDC converter stations in Scotland and England.