Overview
EGL1 is a two-gigawatt high voltage direct current (HVDC) link that will run from the Torness area in East Lothian, to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, via the North Sea.
The 196 km link is designed to unlock Scotland’s vast renewable energy reserves by scaling up the UK’s capacity to deliver secure, cleaner, and more affordable energy from where it is generated to where it is needed. Through its multi-directional design, it will also increase the resilience and stability of the UK’s transmission networks.
What’s being built and where?
- A converter station at Torness and a converter station at Murton
- A new substation at Hawthorn Pit
- Approximately 10 km of underground onshore cable in Scotland
- Approximately 10 km of underground onshore cable in England
- Approximately 176 km of submarine cable beneath the North Sea.
How EGL1 will work
Electricity is converted from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) so it can travel efficiently over long distances. It is then converted back to AC to supply homes and businesses.
How will Eastern Green Link 1 work?
Converter stations
A converter station changes electricity between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
It houses technology that allows cleaner electricity to be transmitted efficiently over long distances. For EGL1, there will be one converter station built in Torness and one in Murton.
Viking Link Converter Station courtesy of National Grid Ventures
Substations
A substation is a key part of the electricity network. It adjusts the voltage of electricity so it can be safely distributed to homes and businesses.
At Hawthorn Pit, a new substation is being built next to the existing Hawthorn Pit substation. This is to manage the additional electricity that will come ashore as part of EGL1.
Existing National Grid substation at Bicker Fen
Onshore cable
We will install the underground cable using either trenching or trenchless methods, depending on the location. In England, about 10 km of underground cable will run from Seaham Hall Beach to a new converter station and substation at Hawthorn Pit, County Durham. In Scotland, around 10 km of underground cable will connect the converter station near Torness to the landfall point south of Thorntonloch Beach. The HVDC cables will be installed in underground ducts, with the land above being restored once the works are complete.
Submarine cable
Approximately 176 km of cable will be installed beneath the seabed between East Lothian and County Durham.
The submarine cable will consist of two electrical cables with a fibre-optic cable for monitoring issues along the route.
At landfall, submarine cables will be installed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD). This allows us to install submarine cables underground without disturbing the beach.
Why is EGL1 needed?
EGL1 is a critical component of the broader energy strategy for England and Scotland. It is part of National Grid’s The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the electricity network in generations which aims to prepare the electricity network for a more resilient future.
As the country shifts away from traditional forms of fuel to heat homes, charge vehicles and power businesses, there is greater need for more secure, cleaner, home-grown energy from more affordable sources.
EGL1 will:
- Carry renewable electricity across the country
- Increase the reliability of the electricity network
- Support the transition to cleaner energy
When complete, it will supply enough electricity for two million homes.
Working with our contractors
Building large projects like this requires collaboration across lots of contractors, big and small. Our four main contractors working on EGL1 are:
Converters
Cables
England connection and substation works
