National Grid has signed two contracts for Sea Link, a proposed 140km subsea electricity connection set to deliver cleaner, more reliable power between Kent and Suffolk. Following a robust and competitive procurement process, Siemens Energy has been appointed to build the project’s converter stations, while Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. will supply the high-voltage cable that makes the connection possible.
This uptick can be especially difficult for those households struggling to pay energy bills to avoid shutoffs. That's why a team from National Grid New England worked diligently to create a new low- income discount programme for Massachusetts customers. The team designed, proposed, testified to regulators, and ultimately received approval through the state for a first of a kind, multi- tiered low- income discount programme.
The 17-metre, 21-tonne structure made of steel was installed just north of Tarnock in September 2019. It has served as vital infrastructure during the construction of the new 400,000-volt underground cable section beneath the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Bridgewater and Seabank near Avonmouth. This cabling approach removes the need for pylons in this protected landscape, reducing the project’s visual impact and preserving the area’s valuable ecology whilst still providing resilient power supplies to the region.
The latest project, launched in February 2025, aimed to reduce plastic packaging on ring main units which are stored at our two plant centres. The ring main units (RMUs) are a type of switchgear that are supplied in a protective plastic bag, which is needed to keep components dry. This results in the handling of approximately 700 large single use plastic bags a year from this equipment type within ED.
Working with our maintenance contractor Hortech (now Nurture Landscapes) and Evidence Nature, an ecological consultant, the project trialled different grassland management techniques and aimed to quantify any changes in biodiversity at the site. Insect and pollinator populations were surveyed by the ecologist, and any changes tracked over time alongside the changes in vegetation, giving a clear indication of the benefits of each habitat type.
The Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine (VSM) begins work at the Tilbury site, part of National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury project
Traditional pipeline commissioning methods, which rely on venting natural gas to displace air or nitrogen, have long been accepted for safety but are now recognised as contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. To address these challenges, National Grid has recently conducted a field demonstration of a portable vacuum purging system in Yaphank, New York. Vacuum purging evacuates air from pipelines before introducing gas, ensuring safe conditions while also offering significant emissions reductions and better operational efficiency compared to conventional practices.
National Grid will shortly begin a series of drone flights along the proposed Norwich to Tilbury route to help improve understanding of the landscape and environmental conditions along the corridor, using advanced technology that reduces the need for on-the-ground surveys.