2024: National Grid’s net zero milestones
Every year we work harder than ever to find new innovative ways of decarbonising the energy system and moving closer to reaching our net zero ambitions.
Our vision is to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future, and in the past year we’ve achieved some impressive milestones that take us a step closer to making a net zero future a reality for everyone.
1. The world’s longest onshore and subsea interconnector went live and the UK is now sharing clean energy with Denmark
Viking Link is our newest electricity interconnector, stretching a record-breaking 765km (475 miles) from Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire to Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark.
With a capacity of 1.4GW, Viking Link could enable the sharing of enough green electricity to power up to 2.5 million UK homes and will provide access to a broader energy mix for both Denmark and the UK.
2. We announced the Upstate Upgrade: investing more than $4 billion for a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy grid across Upstate New York
This collection of transmission enhancement projects will transform the energy delivery system to support a more resilient network for generations to come. With more than 70 projects through 2030, the Upstate Upgrade will generate thousands of new jobs and more than a billion dollars in additional economic growth, while ensuring the energy grid is able to meet the growing demand for electricity.
More about the Upstate Upgrade
3. We launched The Great Grid Partnership
In a major boost to the UK supply chain, we have launched The Great Grid Partnership. The pioneering ‘enterprise model’, which includes seven partners, will initially focus on the network design and construction work required by the end of the decade on nine Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) projects across England and Wales. This forms part of a £9bn supply chain framework, which will also support infrastructure projects beyond 2030.
More about The Great Grid Partnership
4. We announced a £60 billion investment for UK and US energy networks
Over the next five years, we'll be investing around £60 billion in networks – a significant step up in energy infrastructure investment that cements our position as a leader in the energy transition on both sides of the Atlantic.
More about our £60 billion investment
5. The first all-woman team completed substation testing
In what’s believed to be an electricity transmission first, a planned Delayed Auto Reclose test on our Hackney to Tottenham feeders was completed by three of our women engineers.
More about the first all-woman substation testing team
6. We energised the first circuit of our London Power Tunnels 2 project
Energy minister Michael Shanks visited the £1 billion London Power Tunnels 2 project, as our engineers switched on the first of its six new electricity transmission circuits installed deep underneath South London.
More about the LPT2 energisation
7. We launched New York State's first Dynamic Line Rating project
As part of a collaboration with LineVision, we successfully deployed dynamic line rating (DLR) technology on transmission lines in Upstate New York. The operationalisation of this technology on our networks marks the largest deployment of DLR – a technology that will aid the energy transition by unlocking additional capacity on existing lines and boosting the delivery of renewable energy – in the US so far.
More about the LineVision DLR project
8. Eastern Green Link 1 and 2 became the first two critical energy projects to proceed under Ofgem’s new ASTI framework
Under the new Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment framework, EGL1 – a joint venture with SP Energy Networks to deliver a subsea energy superhighway connecting around two million homes to clean energy – entered into the final stage of the approval process. EGL2 – a joint venture with SSEN Transmission, also received provisional approval of the expenditure needed for the HVDC subsea superhighway between Peterhead in Scotland and Drax in Yorkshire.
9. Construction began on Eastern Green Link 2, the new £4.3bn electricity superhighway between Scotland and England
A joint venture with SSEN Transmission, EGL2’s subsea cable will travel 436km under the sea from Peterhead, Scotland, and come ashore on the East Yorkshire coast at Fraisthorpe Sands. It will then run underground for 68km to a new high voltage current (HVDC) converter station at Drax, near Selby in North Yorkshire.
Once complete, it will unlock the rich renewable energy capacity of Scotland and significantly increase the UK’s capacity to deliver clean energy for around two million homes.
More about the new electricity superhighway
10. We energised the UK's largest transmission-connected battery
A battery storage project developed by TagEnergy is now connected and energised on the electricity transmission network, following work to plug the facility into our 132kV Drax substation in North Yorkshire.
Lakeside Energy Park’s 100MW/200MWh facility is now the largest transmission connected battery energy storage system project in the UK and the new facility will boost the capacity and flexibility of the network, helping to balance the system by soaking up surplus clean electricity and discharging it back when the grid needs it.
More about the UK's largest transmission-connected battery
11. Ofgem approves the initial assessment for first-of-a-kind hybrid interconnector projects
Ofgem approved our Initial Project Assessment for the Nautilus and LionLink offshore hybrid assets (OHAs), marking a major milestone for the UK. The OHAs would not only connect national electricity transmission systems, but also offshore wind farms based in Dutch and Belgian territorial waters, respectively.
More about Nautilus and LionLink
12. National Grid Partners reached 50 investments
National Grid Partners – our corporate venture capital and innovation group – has invested half a billion dollars in 50 different companies and speciality funds that are making the power grid safer, cleaner and smarter.
We’ve invested in five unicorn companies valued at over $1 billion each and a wide range of portfolio companies across industries ranging from AI-powered software and hardware to EV charging systems and clean hydrogen technology.
More about National Grid Partners' investments
Published: 4 Dec 2024
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