Welcome to the SEGL1 website. On this site you can learn more about our proposed project and its planning application.
The UK is a world leader in offshore wind energy and has a target to become net zero in all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 for England and Wales, and 2045 for Scotland.
As the country shifts away from traditional forms of fuel to heat homes, charge vehicles and power businesses, there will be a greater need for green electricity. By the end of this decade, the UK Government aims for every home in the country to be powered by offshore wind.
To help deliver more green energy to homes and businesses across the UK, we need to increase the capability of our network between Scotland – with its many renewable energy sources – and the rest of the UK.
To do this, we have submitted planning applications to construct two new High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electrical ‘superhighways’; one from the Torness area in East Lothian, to Hawthorn Pit, between Murton and South Hetton, in County Durham (SEGL1) and one from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire (SEGL2).
The SEGL1 project (also known as the Eastern Link project) is being jointly developed with ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN). SPEN is the transmission owner for Central and Southern Scotland, and are developing the onshore and offshore aspects of the scheme in Scotland. SEGL2 is being jointly developed with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).
We have now submitted our planning application to Durham County Council for the onshore elements of our project.
The submission of our application comes after speaking and listening to local communities during a public consultation in spring 2021 and public information events in February of this year.
Following our planning application submission, Durham County Council has started its statutory period of consultation on our proposals. You can view our application and share your comments by visiting the Council’s planning portal and inputting our application’s reference number: DM/22/01663/OUT.
Once its consultation is over, the Council will then decide whether to approve our proposed project. We expect this decision to be made in the autumn.
We have applied for outline planning permission for the proposed converter station, substation and public open space from Durham County Council.
All underground cabling works on land will be installed under permitted development rights. Under planning regulations, certain works (including underground cabling) have deemed planning permission, which allow those works to be carried out without requiring an application for planning permission.
See the Our proposal page for more detail on the converter station substation, public open space and cable.
Our application has been made under the Town and Country Planning Act.
We have also submitted a marine licence application to the Marine Management Organisation and Marine Scotland for SEGL1’s 176km submarine cable, the offshore element of the project.
Much like planning permission onshore, this process involves a period of technical appraisal and consultation which will inform the outcome of the application.
The marine licence application can be viewed in the public register using the reference number MLA/2022/00231.
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people and businesses to the energy they use every day. We bring energy to life – in the heat, light and power we bring to our customer’s homes and businesses; in the way that we support our communities and help them to grow; and in the way we show up in the world. It is our vision to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future.
Our individual companies run the systems and infrastructure that deliver electricity and gas across the country.
National Grid Electricity Transmission own, build, and manage the electricity grid in England and Wales to which many different energy sources are connected. National Grid Gas Transmission own, build, and manage the gas transmission network in Great Britain, making gas available when and where it’s needed. National Grid ESO (Electricity System Operator) control the movement of electricity around the country ensuring supply meets demand. Finally, National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the competitive division of National Grid, investing in energy projects, technologies, and partnerships to accelerate the development of our clean energy future.
Learn more about us by visiting our main site.
If you have any questions about our project, please get in touch with a member of our community relations team.
You can call or email the team on 0808 196 8405 or at [email protected].
You can also register for updates from the project by filling out the form below.
