The ASTI projects form a key part of The Great Grid Upgrade, which is building the significant new electricity network infrastructure required to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels by connecting 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.
Networks have so far sent offers to 203 projects totalling 7.8GW with an average connection acceleration of 6.5 years. In total 393 projects are eligible for the programme with the further 190 projects able to receive accelerated offers once they have progressed through the connection offer process. Last month a solar farm near Bridgwater in Somerset became the first project to be energised under this scheme.
National Grid’s school engagement programme, conducted in partnership with social enterprise Connectr, has achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching its target of booking over 100,000 student interactions a year and a half ahead of schedule.
The eight-week initial consultation, which begins on 23 April, shares proposals for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4) projects – two new, primarily subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity links, with associated infrastructure, between Scotland and England.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is jointly developing EGL 3 with SSEN Transmission (SSEN) and EGL 4 with SP Energy Networks (SPEN).
National Grid and its contractors Balfour Beatty and GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions have been working since June 2019 to build a replacement for Littlebrook 400kV substation.
The new facility will help to reduce the use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), a gas commonly used in the electrical industry to prevent short circuits and to keep the network safe and reliable.
Under the current process, if a new connection asset is triggered, several steps must be followed. Firstly, since applications are currently handled on a first come first serve basis, applications which trigger new assets are assessed according to the order in which they apply. If a new application were to be submitted now, we could not assess its connection date or location without considering those connections which come before. If certain connections do not come to fruition and are reviewed under proposed reform measures currently underway, dates and connections could change.
Running from Bicker Fen converter station in Lincolnshire to one in southern Jutland, Denmark, across both land and sea, Viking Link is sharing British and Danish wind power as both countries become hubs of clean energy in Europe, acting as cornerstone nations for the North Sea super grid of the future.
The Great Grid Upgrade is the largest overhaul of the grid in generations. It will play a large part in the UK government’s plan to boost homegrown power, helping the UK switch to clean energy and make sure our electricity network is fit for the future; carrying more clean, secure energy from where it’s generated to where it is needed.
The Great Grid Upgrade is the largest overhaul of the grid in generations. It will play a large part in the UK government’s plan to boost homegrown power, helping the UK switch to clean energy and make sure our electricity network is fit for the future; carrying more clean, secure energy from where it’s generated to where it is needed.
- Hinkley Connection Project’s 116 T-pylons now ‘strung’ with overhead conductors
- Final conductors fixed into place on a row of T-pylons near Yatton, North Somerset
- 460km and 1,288 tonnes of power line have been installed between project’s T-pylons
The project spans 57km in total between National Grid’s new Shurton substation on the Hinkley Point C site and its existing Seabank substation in Avonmouth.