List of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom

The following is a list of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom, including some under construction or proposed.

The rise of UK interconnection

The main direction of interconnector flows is into the UK electricity market. During 2021, interconnectors provided 28 TWh of electricity to the UK, which equates to 10% of total demand, whilst in 2009 this figure was 7 TWh.[1]

Interconnectors allow the trade of electricity between countries with excess generation (for example, intermittent renewable) and those with high demand. Interconnectors play a key part in balancing variable renewable generation, for example the 1.4 GW North Sea Link allows the UK to export excess power to Norway during windy periods to conserve Norwegian hydro stocks, and import Norwegian hydro power on less windy days.[2]

During the 2022 energy crisis, the UK exported record amounts of power to mainland Europe, helping to alleviate the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on European security of supply.[3]

Operational

Name Developers Substation UK Substation 2 Length
(km) 		Voltage
(kV) 		Power
(MW) 		Operational Remarks
HVDC Cross-Channel National Grid Interconnectors and RTE England Sellindge, Kent France Bonningues-lès-Calais, France 73 ±270 2,000 1986 submarine HVDC
BritNed National Grid Interconnectors and TenneT England Isle of Grain, Kent Netherlands Maasvlakte, Netherlands 260 450 1,000 2011 submarine HVDC
East–West Interconnector EirGrid Interconnector Designated Activity Co. Wales Shotton, Flintshire Republic of Ireland Rush, County Dublin, Ireland 261 ±200 500 2012 submarine HVDC
Nemo Link National Grid Interconnectors and Elia England Richborough, Kent Belgium Zeebrugge, Belgium 140 400 1,000 2019 submarine HVDC
IFA-2 National Grid Interconnectors and RTE England Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire France Tourbe, France 204 ±320 1,000 2021 submarine HVDC
North Sea Link National Grid Interconnectors and Statnett England Blyth, Northumberland Norway Kvilldal, Norway 720 ±515 1,400 2021 submarine HVDC
ElecLink Getlink England Folkestone, Kent France Peuplingues, France 51 ±320 1,000 2022 Channel Tunnel HVDC
Viking Link National Grid Interconnectors and Energinet England Bicker Fen, Lincolnshire Denmark Revsing, Jutland, Denmark 765 525 1,400 2023 submarine HVDC
Greenlink Element Power & Partners Group Wales Pembroke, Pembrokeshire Republic of Ireland Great Island, County Wexford, Ireland 190 320 500 25 January 2025[4] submarine HVDC
Total 9,800

Proposed

Name Developers Substation UK Substation 2 Length
(km) 		Voltage
(kV) 		Power
(MW) 		Approval status Proposed
opening 		Remarks
NeuConnect Meridiam, Allianz and Kansai Electric Power England Isle of Grain, Kent Germany Wilhelmshaven 725 525 1,400 Ofgem approved[5] 2028 (under
construction) 		submarine HVDC
Nautilus[6] National Grid Ventures and Elia England Isle of Grain, Kent[7] Belgium TBD 160+ TBD 1,400 Ofgem approved[5] 2028[8] submarine HVDC‡
MaresConnect[9] Foresight Group and Etchea Energy Wales Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire Republic of Ireland Woodland, County Meath ~245 ±320 750 Ofgem approved[5] 2029 submarine HVDC
FAB Link RTE and FAB Link Limited England Exeter Airport, Devon France L'Étang-Bertrand (lieu-dit Menuel) 220 ±320 1,250 Ofgem approved[10] 2030/31 submarine HVDC
LionLink[11] National Grid Ventures and TenneT England Walberswick, Suffolk[12] Netherlands TBD TBD TBD 1,800 Ofgem approved[5] 2032[13] submarine HVDC‡
Tarchon Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
and Volta Partners 		England Tendring, Essex Germany Niederlangen 750 ±525 1,400 Ofgem approved[5] 2032 submarine HVDC
Atlantic SuperConnection ASC Energy England Creyke Beck, East Riding of Yorkshire Iceland TBD ~1,700
to 1,800 		TBD 1,800 Pending 2029 submarine HVDC
Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project Xlinks Ltd England Alverdiscott, Devon Morocco Tan-Tan 3,800 ±(TBD) 3,600 CfD rejected[14] 2029 submarine, dual HVDC
Gridlink Interconnector GridLink Interconnector Ltd England Kingsnorth, Kent France Warande 140 525 1,400 France rejected[15] 2030 submarine HVDC
AQUIND AQUIND Limited England Lovedean, Hampshire France Barnabos 240 ±320 2,000 Ofgem rejected[16] TBC submarine HVDC

‡ With ability to connect to offshore wind farms

Operational

Per the below list, the United Kingdom has, as of 2025, a national interconnector capacity of 4,550 MW.

Name Developers Substation 1 Substation 2 Length
(km) 		Voltage
(kV) 		Power
(MW) 		Operational Remarks
Moyle Interconnector Mutual Energy Scotland Auchencrosh, South Ayrshire Northern Ireland Ballycronan More, County Antrim 63.5 250 500 2001 submarine
HVDC
Caithness - Moray Link Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland Caithness Scotland Moray 160 320 1,200 2019
Western HVDC Link National Grid and ScottishPower Transmission Scotland Hunterston, Ayrshire Wales Flintshire Bridge, Flintshire 422 600 2,250 2019
Shetland HVDC Connection Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Scotland Upper Kergord Valley, Shetland Scotland Caithness HVDC switching station, near Wick 260 320 600 2024

Proposed

Name Developers Substation 1 Substation 2 Length
(km) 		Voltage
(kV) 		Power
(MW) 		Operational Remarks
Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1)[17] National Grid and ScottishPower Energy Networks Scotland Torness, East Lothian England Branxton, Northumberland 196 525 2,000 2029 (under construction) underground/submarine HVDC
Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2)[18] National Grid and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland Peterhead, Aberdeenshire England Drax, North Yorkshire 505 525 2,000 2029 (under construction) underground/submarine HVDC
Western Isles HVDC connection[19] Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland Arnish, Isle of Lewis Scotland Beauly, Inverness-shire 165 TBC 1,800 2030 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
Spittal – Peterhead Subsea Cable Link[20] Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland Banniskirk Hub, Caithness Scotland Netherton Hub, Aberdeenshire ~201 525 2,000 2030 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
Sea Link[21] National Grid England Friston, Suffolk England Minster, Kent ~134 TBC 2,000 2031 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
LirIC[22][23] Transmission Investment Scotland Hunterston, Ayrshire Northern Ireland Kilroot, County Antrim ~142 ±320 700 2032 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3)[24][25] National Grid and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland Peterhead, Aberdeenshire England Walpole, Norfolk ~575 525 2,000 2033 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4)[26][25] National Grid and ScottishPower Energy Networks Scotland TBC (Fife area) England Walpole, Norfolk ~525 TBC 2,000 2033 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC
Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL5)[27] National Grid and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Scotland TBC (Eastern Scotland) England TBC (Lincolnshire area) ~555 TBC 2,000 2035 (proposed) underground/submarine HVDC

See also

References

  1. ^ "Drax Electric Insights". Drax Electric Insights. Drax Group. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. ^ "northsealink". northsealink.com. North Sea Link. 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  3. ^ Gosden, Emily (29 December 2022). "Electricity exports to Europe soar as wind and solar power increase". The Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.(subscription required)
  4. ^ "Message Details - GRNLNK1719243085-ELXP-RMT-00000001". Elexon Insights Solution. 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Empowering Great Britain for a clean and flexible energy future with the next generation of interconnectors". Ofgem. 12 November 2024.
  6. ^ "About Nautilus". National Grid. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Alice (28 February 2025). "National Grid gets backing to move energy from Suffolk to Kent". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Nautilus". www.elia.be. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  9. ^ "MaresConnect project page". maresconnect.ie. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Interconnectors". Ofgem.
  11. ^ "LionLink". National Grid. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ "LionLink interconnector announces Walberswick as preferred landfall location". National Grid. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  13. ^ "LionLink our proposals". National Grid. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  14. ^ "UK rejects CfD for Morocco-UK power link". 26 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Deliberation of the French Energy Regulatory Commission of 19 January 2022 deciding on the investment request submitted by GridLink Interconnector Limited". CRE. CRE.
  16. ^ "Initial Project Assessment of the Window 3 Interconnectors - decision". 12 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Discover the Eastern Green Link 1 project". Eastern Green Link 1. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  18. ^ "About Eastern Green Link 2". Eastern Green Link 2. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Western Isles HVDC Link Project". SSEN Transmission. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Spittal – Peterhead Subsea Cable Link". SSEN Transmission. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Sea Link". National Grid. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  22. ^ "LirIC". Transmission Investment. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  23. ^ Ross, Kit Million (9 January 2025). "LirIC Interconnector granted transmission licence". Current News. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Eastern Green Link 3". SSEN Transmission. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4)". National Grid. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Eastern Green Link 4". SP Energy Networks. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL 5)". National Grid. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
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