The extent of the existing electricity transmission network in the region, the blue 400 kV lines and the red 275 kV lines, is shown on the map below and on our interactive map.

In the area north of the Humber, the network was initially developed to supply demand in and around Hull and the wider area. Two 400 kV overhead lines, each carrying two electrical circuits, connect Creyke Beck, near Cottingham, north of Hull. Creyke Beck and Salt End North are grid supply points where the local distribution network operator, Northern Powergrid, steps down the voltage to take electricity on, via their lower voltage distribution network, to homes and businesses.

In the late 1990s, gas fired generation at Salt End, east of Hull, was connected back to the transmission network at our Creyke Beck substation, via a new 275 kV overhead line from Salt End South substation. Creyke Beck and Hedon are also connection locations for existing offshore wind farms. In the Trent Valley, the electricity transmission network was built to connect major coal fired generation at Keadby, Cottam, Staythorpe, West Burton and High Marnham, carrying electricity on toward major population centres. Electricity still flows primarily from the North to the Midlands through the region today.

Why does the network in the region need reinforcing?

With growing offshore wind and interconnectors, an anticipated tripling of wind generation connected across the Scottish networks by 2030 and Government’s increased ambition to connect 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, north-south power flows are set to increase. National Grid ESO in the Electricity Ten Year Statement anticipate that the network between the North and Midlands needs to transfer as much as 29 GW of electricity by 2033, compared to 11.6 GW that it can transfer today while remaining compliant with the standards the network is operated to.

Existing network capacity and demand in the Creyke Beck area

The existing network serving the Creyke Beck area can export just under 7 GW of electricity whilst remaining compliant with the Security and Quality of Supply Standards that the network is operated to. Whilst this has been sufficient until today, it is not sufficient to meet the power carrying capability that is required by the end of this decade and beyond.

Peak demand for electricity in the region in 2022 was 526.7 MW. Toward the end of the decade, electricity demand in the region is forecast to be higher than it is today, at around 585.7 MW in 2030 and 636.6 MW by 2032.

Future generation in the Creyke Beck area

As shown in the table below, there are a number of new sources of clean green energy contracted to connect in the Creyke Beck area in the next decade

With up to around 13 GW of contracted generation and interconnector capacity by the early 2030s, the network as it is today, notwithstanding local demand, would not have the capacity needed to export all that electricity out of the area across the B8 boundary. We therefore need to reinforce our network to prevent wider system failures and circuit overloads from happening.

Wider reinforcements on the B8 boundary

Work to derive more capability out of the existing network across transmission boundary B8 is planned in the next decade, including:

• reconductoring Keadby to Cottam;
• thermally uprating Keadby to West Burton;
• installing new power control devices along Keadby to West Burton;
• uprating the existing line from 275 kV to 400 kV from Brinsworth to Chesterfield to High Marnham; and
• reconductoring West Burton to Ratcliffe-on-Soar.

When replacing the wires (conductors) on overhead lines, it is sometimes possible to do that with new ones that can carry more power and sometimes with wires that can be operated at a higher temperature allowing more power to be transported. That is what we are doing with the first two schemes. Power control devices are equipment that allow more power to be directed to flow along parts of the network that have some additional capacity.

While those works will increase the boundary transfer capability across boundary B8 to around 14 GW, they will not be sufficient to accommodate the north south power flows that are expected on the network. Up to around 29 GW of boundary transfer capability is needed by 2033 across the B8 boundary with increasing offshore wind and interconnectors.